


The One That Gets You

by GunMetalSnail429



Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:01:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 27,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29228130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GunMetalSnail429/pseuds/GunMetalSnail429
Summary: They say you never see the one that gets you, but maybe, if you look hard enough, you can. AUShinji, Asuka and the gang go to a theme park/resort and while there begin to face long buried feelings. Turbo WAFF.
Relationships: Aida Kensuke/Ayanami Rei, Horaki Hikari/Suzuhara Touji, Ikari Shinji/Souryuu Asuka Langley, Kaji Ryouji/Katsuragi Misato
Comments: 5
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

“ _You never see the one that gets you.”_

Shinji remembered reading that in a story once. Now though, if he could talk to the author, he would tell them just how wrong they were. Shinji could see what was about to get him as plain as day. The glittering steel bumper of the delivery van was steadily bearing down on him as he fell to the ground, his feet having slipped out from under him as he tossed the girl back to her brother on the sidewalk.

He saw Toji snatch the girl from the air with the strange clarity that often comes with the release of massive amounts of adrenaline. Time seemed to have slowed, just like he always saw in the movies, and he turned his eyes towards the other person on the sidewalk. She was reaching for him, her red hair flying out behind her. She was screaming something that Shinji couldn’t understand. He tried to reply, but his mouth refused to work.

He could, cruelly, turn his head quickly enough to read the letters and numbers on the license plate attached to the bumper. One final thought bubbled up to the front of his mind.

_And this trip was going so well._

() () () ()

**_Two days before:_ **

_Asuka walked out from under the shade of the small hut, two brightly colored drinks in her hands. She glanced around and started back towards the beach, the ice clinking in the glasses as she walked. She soon arrived at the beach chairs they had rented and took a seat, the cushion warm from the sun. He wasn’t there but she knew he’d be back soon. She sat the drinks on the small table between them and laid back in her chair, pulling her floppy straw hat over her eyes._

_“Asuka. Wake up.”_

_Someone shook her shoulder. Her eyes shot open. She must have dozed off, the late afternoon heat making short work of her. She looked up at Shinji as he stared down at her, **that** smile on his face._

_“Already had too much to drink?”_

_“Nope. Just relaxed. Between the heat and these chairs, I couldn’t really help it.”_

_“It must have gotten windy,” Shinji chuckled._

_Asuka blinked._

_“What? Why?”_

_Shinji’s eyes darted down and then back. He wiggled his eyebrows._

_Asuka looked down. Her eyes widened. She grabbed her dress and yanked it back down over knees, her face turning nearly as red as her hair._

_“Shit!”_

_Shinji laughed as he sat down and picked up his drink, the purple glass slippery with condensation, and took a large sip._

_“You’re wearing a swimsuit, Asuka. It’s fine.”_

_“Yeah, well, it’s the principle of the matter. You know this dress doesn’t behave in the wind.”_

_Shinji flashed her a wicked grin._

_“I know. That’s why I asked you to wear it.”_

_If Asuka had an extra pillow she would have thrown it at him. Instead, she grabbed her own drink, bright red this time, and began sipping on it, pouting the entire time._

_“I hate you.”_

_“No you don’t.”_

_She scowled at him, or at least attempted to, before breaking into a goofy smile._

_“I suppose you’re right. I mean, if I did…”_

_She raised her left hand. The golden band on her third finger shone in the late afternoon sun. She smiled._

_Warmly._

_“I wouldn’t be wearing this right now.”_

_Shinji looked over at her before glancing at the matching ring on his own finger._

_“I guess not.”_

_Asuka lowered her hand to the cushion beneath her. Shinji reached over and grabbed it, squeezing tightly. She smiled at him, and he did the same. They sat there for a while, comfortable in the relative silence of the beach, the crashing of the waves and the occasional joyful squeal of a child their only companions._

_“I can’t believe we did it.”_

_Asuka looked over at Shin… No, at her **husband,** and perked up an eyebrow._

_“Did what?”_

_He met her gaze and brought up his left hand, wiggling his ring finger._

_Asuka didn’t try to hide her blush._

_“I can. We’ve been talking about it since we were 16. It was bound to happen eventually. At least you had the good sense to propose when you did, before all our friends left for their N.E.R.V assignments. The looks on their faces when you dropped to one knee at that dinner party….”_

_It was Shinji’s turn to blush. Asuka giggled._

_“Yeah. They were almost as good as their faces when we dropped the wedding on them. They thought this was just a long weekend trip to the beach. Well, weren’t they surprised.”_

_They looked over their shoulders at the other set of beach chairs behind them. Toji and Hikari were only making use of one of them, laying side by side and quietly talking in the now-evening light. Kensuke was elsewhere, probably with his camera plastered to his face. Kaji and Misato had retired to their hotel room to take a “nap.”_

_“You think they’ll be next?” Asuka asked, staring at Toji and Hikari as they snuggled together, “I think it’s about time.”_

_Shinji chuckled._

_“I think it’ll be sooner rather than later.”_

_Asuka rolled towards him._

_“Oh? And what makes you say that?”_

_“He’s been talking about it recently.”_

_Shinji looked at Asuka and grinned._

_“That, and he bought a ring a week ago and it’s currently sitting in their hotel room safe.”_

_Asuka’s eyes flew open, her mouth silently moving up and down before breaking into the biggest, brightest smile Shinji had seen on her face in a while, at least since the ceremony._

_“Really???” Asuka practically squealed, her smile growing._

_“Yep, but don’t say anything. I think he’s going to pop the question tomorrow night after dinner. When we’re all good and tipsy.”_

_Asuka shook her head._

_“My lips are sealed. But I can’t wait.”_

_“Me neither. Until then, though….”_

_Shinji rolled over on his side and stared at Asuka._

_“How about we go take a nap of our own?”_

_Asuka’s cheeks started burning and she turned away, a small smile spreading on her lips._

_“I… I’d like that.”_

_She squeaked when she looked up and his face was inches from her own. He placed a feather soft kiss on the tip of her nose._

_“I love you, Mrs. Ikari.”_

_She smirked._

_“I love you too, Mr. Ikari.”_

_+++++++_

Asuka’s eyes flew open. She sat straight up in her bed and bit down on a small scream. She looked around her room as she steadied her breathing.

Of course it was a dream. It always was. The same kind of dream she’d had at least once a month for the last year or so, only this time it was…. More. The other ones usually ended with a kiss or at least a shouted confession of love. This one though…

_We got…. Married???_

Asuka put her head in her hands and exhaled. She sat there for a few minutes, breathing deeply as she made sure to commit as much of the dream to memory as she could. She finally looked up and around her room, her eyes settling on her phone where it rested on the nightstand. She picked it up and opened the messaging app. She clicked through to her saved conversation with Hikari and started typing. After a minute or so, she pressed send. She then glanced at the status bar at the top of the screen and noticed the time.

3:27 AM.

“Oh crap. There’s no way she’s awake….”

He phone dinged almost immediately. Asuka blinked. She opened the message and started reading.

_H **oraki: So, that dream again, huh?**_

**_A.L. Soryu: Yeah. Wait, why are you awake?_ **

**_H Horaki: Couldn’t sleep. Been up since 1. Too excited about tomorrow. Tell me about the dream, though. You said it was different this time???_ **

**_A.L. Soryu: Yeah... We skipped the usual stuff. No confession or anything like that. Just…_ **

**_Horaki: Yeah?????_ **

Asuka swallowed before starting to type.

**_A.L. Soryu: We were married. Just married, it seemed like. I got the impression we were still getting used to it._ **

**_Horaki: WHAT?? That’s so cooool! What did it feel like? Were you happy?_ **

**_Horaki: Did you guys… You know….._ **

Asuka’s face started burning.

**_A.L. Soryu: I think we were about to, but then I woke up. It felt… Really, really nice. And of course I was happy! I was married! We knew with 100% certainty how we felt about each other. It was great._ **

**_Horaki: That’s awesome! I just wish you guys could have that, you know, NOW._ **

**_A.L. Soryu: I mean, we’re 16. Well, Shinji is about to be 17 but still…. That’s not exactly a great age to get married. Also, I don’t think he would go for it even if I ever told him._ **

**_Horaki: I’ve told you this a thousand times, Asuka. I’ve seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is paying attention to him. He is head over heels in love with you! And you obviously are with him, so you two dorks just need to sit down and talk it out. I WANT TO BE YOUR MAID OF HONOR!!!_ _😊_ _😊_ **

**_A.L. Soryu: I know you’ve told me. I just…. I’ve tried to talk to him. But every time, something comes up and we can’t have any time alone. I’m starting to think the universe is conspiring against us._ **

**_Horaki: Wellllll, we are about to spend almost four days at an amazing theme park/resort. Maybe…. Sometime then?? You guys could ride the Ferris wheel and have a romantic talk while you looked over the park at night??_ **

Asuka shook her head and smiled. She knew the kind of books Hikari liked to read, and that scenario was straight out of roughly half of them.

**_A.L. Soryu: I mean, if it works out that way I wouldn’t complain…. Oh! I almost forgot! You guys were there, too. You and Toji and Kensuke and Misato and Kaji, though I only saw you and Toji. But I knew the others were around somewhere. You know how dreams work._ **

**_Horaki: Oh really? What were we doing exactly?_ **

**_Horaki: If you don’t mind telling…._ **

**Asuka grinned.**

**_A.L. Soryu: Wellllll, you and Toji were snuggled up on a beach chair in the sun…._ **

**_Horaki: AND????_ **

**_A.L. Soryu: Aaand Shinji said Toji was going to propose to you the next day._ **

Asuka waited several moments for a reply, but the one she got wasn’t quite what she expected.

Her phone began to ring. She looked at it strangely before answering.

“Hel…”

“HE WAS GOING TO DO WHAT?”

Asuka held the phone away from her ear. Too loud.

“Hikari!” she whispered harshly, “Calm down. It was just a dream.”

Silence from the other end, followed by a long exhale.

“Sorry. It’s just…. I had a dream like that a few nights ago, too. I didn’t think to tell you then, but it was pretty great. Man, we must share a psychic bond or something. We’ve been having the same dreams for the last few months.”

“Well, almost the same,” Asuka whispered, “Yours usually take place at a ski resort or something, right? Lots of snow and warm fires and hot chocolate? Mine have almost exclusively been on a beach of some kind. Warm sun, cold drinks, blue water. I guess we have different ideas of romantic, huh?”

“I mean, anywhere can be romantic if you want it to be…” Hikari giggled. There was silence for a while, both of them resting in their respective beds, their phone pressed to their ears, “Ok, Asuka. I’m glad you talked to me about this. I know it sucks, trust me. But… I don’t know. I have a good feeling about this trip. I feel like something good is going to come out of it. Especially for you and Shinji…”

Asuka narrowed her eyes.

“Hikari, I know that tone,” Asuka replied worriedly, “Are you planning something?”

Silence.

“Hikari?”

“I’m actually starting to get really sleepy, Asuka. I think I’m going to try and go back to bed. I’ll see you in the morning!”

“Hik….”

There was a beep and the call ended. Asuka stared at her phone for a moment, frowning. She would have to have a chat with her in the morning. If that girl had some scheme cooked up…

She shook her head and started to put her phone back but stopped. She flipped it back open and went into her photo gallery, scrolling past dozens of pictures of her and her friends, several of them taken at N.E.R.V during their internships. She stopped on the picture she was looking for, clicking to bring it fullscreen.

It wasn’t anything special, at least not to someone on the outside, but to Asuka…

She sat a dinner table, her main group of friends all around her. Shinji sat beside her, and in the moment the picture was taken, had looked up at the same time she had, their eyes meeting. Hikari had apparently taken note of this and had managed to snap a photo of them from across the table. She hadn’t said a word then, instead waiting until after dinner, once everyone had one home, to send it to Asuka.

She didn’t know if Hikari had sent a copy to Shinji as well and had never mustered up the courage to ask. She wasn’t sure why.

She stared at it for quite a while, noting, as always, the bright blush on her cheeks.

And on Shinji’s.

She sighed and closed her phone and sat it back on the nightstand. She rolled over and stared at nothing for a while, replaying the dream in the back of her mind. She closed her eyes and smiled as sleep overtook her once more.

() () () ()

Hikari hung up the phone and lowered it, holding it in two hands in front of her chest.

_I know it was just a dream, but… Both of us having dreams that similar, this close together? The universe **must** be trying to tell us something._

She sat her phone back on her nightstand and pulled her blanket back up to her chin. She burrowed her head back into her pillow and was nearly asleep when a sudden fancy struck her. She reached over and grabbed her phone and opened the messaging app. She scrolled to her conversation thread with Toji and began typing.

**_Horaki: Hey. I know it’s super early and I know you won’t see this until the morning because you sleep like a rock, but I think I’ve got a plan for how to finally get Shinji and Asuka… Well, you know. We’re going to try and get them alone together as much as possible on this trip. I’m sure it will take more than that, but we’ll figure that out as we go. Fair warning, your participation in this is mandatory, so don’t try to weasel your way out. See you in the morning!_ **

She added a few emojis for good measure, not really paying attention as she pressed the buttons, and therefore not realizing that more than one of them was a heart. She closed her phone and sat it back on the nightstand, rolled herself up in her blanket, and fell back asleep.

() () () ()

“Toji! Wake up! Your friends are going to be here soon!”

Itsuki Suzuhara rapped on the door to his son’s room three more times, the wood flexing with each hit. He turned and reached behind him and did the same to his daughter’s room.

“You too, Sakura! If you’re not up when they get here, I’m telling them to leave without you!”

He waited for a moment. Nothing. He sighed and raised his fist again, ready to knock even harder.

The doors slid open simultaneously as Toji and Sakura Suzuhara stepped out into the hallway. Itsuki noted that the boy was fully dressed, a rare sight for him, especially at 8:00 AM on a Sunday.

“I’ve been up for over an hour. I’ve been packing, dad.”

“Well, I’ve been ready since last night.”

Toji looked down at his sister and stuck out his tongue. She returned the gesture before disappearing back into her room.

Toji motioned behind him and Itsuki peered over his son’s shoulder. Two good sized duffel bags sat neatly stacked by the dresser, a backpack resting on top of them. To top things off, the boy appeared to have already showered, shaved (it was mostly fuzz, but Toji wore it like a badge of honor), brushed his teeth and, miracle of miracles, had actually _combed his hair._

“Wow. How come I can’t get you to do this any other time, huh?” his father chuckled, poking his son in the ribs lightly, “Come on. Kaji just called and said they’re five minutes out. I’ll help you with your bags.”

Toji sighed and stepped back, grabbing one of the duffels and handing it to his fathe. The older man grabbed the carry handle and whistled.

“Have a lot of costume changes planned there, Toji?” he laughed as he slung the carrying strap over his shoulder.

“Well, the park is on a beach, and it’s the middle of summer. I’m gonna be running around and sweating all day, so I wanna make sure I have fresh clothes I can swap in when my other ones start getting rank.”

“Yeah, but did you have to pack a week’s worth of clothes for a three-day trip? That seems a little excessive…”

“You know what mom always says about packing, dad,” Toji replied, “It’s better to have too much and not need it, instead of not enough.”

“She has literally never said that and you know it.”

Toji grinned and rubbed sheepishly at the back of his head.

“Yeah, well, she always overpacks and it’s come in handy before, so I figure why not?”

Itsuki shook his head and grinned. For all the ways his oldest child was like him in almost all ways physical, Toji took after his mother in so many other small ways. He was loud and brash and suffered from an overabundance of confidence, but he always made time for everyone, whether they be classmates or just strangers on the street asking for help. Itsuki had lost track of the number of times he had caught Toji helping an elderly man or woman find their way through a crowded shopping mall or market, guiding them by the hand and reading signs for them if their vision wasn’t what it used to be.

God forbid you mention it later, though. The boy would offer every excuse he could find as to why he did what he did, be it because, quote, “It’s a man’s job to help others,” or because he was trying to impress a pretty girl from his school.

Itsuki smiled to himself. There were plenty of girls fawning over his son, he knew that. Itsuki had the same problem in high school himself, despite what his wife might tell everyone. Toji was tall and lean, he would be taller than his father before long, and played every sport you stuck in front of him. Of course, the girls flocked to him, and Toji ate up every second of it. But Itsuki knew his son better than that. He saw the way the boy looked at the Horaki girl differently than anyone else.

And, the way the girl looked at him the exact same way. He saw how close she sat to Toji whenever his friends came over for dinner, the way her eyes seemed to light up whenever his son said her name. He needed to tell that girl how he felt before she got tired of waiting. Itsuki had broached the subject of Hikari on more than one occasion, but Toji always changed the subject.

Sakura stepped back out into the hallway, her own duffel bag over her shoulder. She looked up at the two of them and started dragging the pack down the hallway, visibly straining. Itsuki sighed, handed the other bag back to Toji and grabbed Sakura’s off the floor. She gave him a dirty look and said something about being able to do it herself, but her relief was obvious.

“Oh yeah, Hikari messaged me something strange super early this morning,” Toji spoke up, throwing the duffel over his other shoulder, “She said she, and I quote, _had a plan_.”

He _did not_ mention the several heart emojis included at the end of the message.

Itsuki’s brow furrowed.

“Exactly what kind of plan are we talking about? Don’t tell me she’s trying to sketch out every single second of your time at the park so that everyone has the ‘perfect’ amount of fun?”

Toji shook his head.

“Nah, nothing that complicated. No, she said she’s got a plan for getting Asuka and Shinji to finally tell each other how they feel.”

Toji smirked.

“It’s about time. Those two have been dancin’ around each other for years. Everyone can see it. Me, Kensuke, Rei, Hikari. Hell, even Mr. Kaji and Ms. Misato have mentioned it before.”

“I think they’re perfect for each other,” Sakura chimed in, her bright red backpack slung on her back, “I hope they get married.”

Itsuki nodded, a small smile on his lips.

“So, did she give you any specifics on what this plan might entail?”

Toji shrugged, dropping his bags by the front door.

“So far, the only step she’s come up with is ‘Get Shinji and Asuka alone together as much as possible.’ It’s simple, but I kinda think it needs a little something more, ya know? Some action, some adventure. I mean, we’re gonna be at a huge theme park -slash- resort for three days in the middle of summer. I’ve seen those books Hikari reads, the ones with the pretty girls wrapped up in some guy’s arms on the covers. I’m sure there are other steps, even if she doesn’t realize it yet.”

“Maybe one of them could be put in danger and the other one has to come rescue them!” Sakura offered, her eyes twinkling. Toji looked at her askance. Hikari must have let the girl read some of those books.

He sighed.

“I’m just along for the ride, I guess.”

Itsuki went to reply when the sound of a vehicle turning into the driveway stopped him, the wheels crunching on the gravel by the front porch. He opened the front door and stepped outside. The rental van shone in the morning sun, the tinted windows standing out against the stark white of the paint. The side door flew open and out stepped Hikari Horaki. She held a hand up to her eyes to block the sun before sliding the door back closed. Itsuki only got a brief glimpse into the van’s interior, but he instantly recognized the flash of red hair sitting in the middle seat. Hikari started walking towards the man, offering a small wave as she did.

Toji stepped out behind his father and squinted in the sunlight, and Itsuki stepped back. He glanced from his son to the girl and back and watched two things happen simultaneously.

First, Toji noticed Hikari and his breath caught _ever_ so slightly, his body stiffening, and…

Second, Hikari noticed Toji and picked up speed, her eyes widening as a small smile crept onto her lips.

She made it to the door and stopped, offering Itsuki a small bow as she greeted them good morning.

“Hey there class rep,” Toji said. Itsuki noted the effort the boy put into keeping his voice steady, along with subtle way the boy slouched down, assuming an air of deliberate nonchalance, “You ready for the trip?”

She nodded enthusiastically.

“Oh yeah! I’ve never been before so I’m super excited. Are you ready to go? Misato and Kaji are itching to get on the road.”

Toji nodded.

“Yep! Just let me do one more quick check…”

He turned to the bags just inside the door and starting counting things off on his fingers, satisfied until he reached number eight or so. He turned to Hikari, a small panic in his eyes.

“Oh crap! I forgot to make lunch for the van! You asked me if I would and I said yes and I forgot. Damn it!”

“Language, young man,” Itsuki spoke up, grinning as Toji’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink, “Don’t worry, you’ve got time. Go and make whatever it is you said you’d make, and I’ll get your bags into the van.”

Toji nodded and walked into the house and towards the kitchen. Hikari hesitated for a moment before running in after him, kicking her shoes off as she entered the house.

“Hey, wait up! I… I’ll help.”

Toji stopped and turned to her, his brow raised.

“Uhh, thanks.”

Isuki didn’t need to see the girl’s face to see the blush form on her cheeks. She followed after Toji as they made their way across the living room and into the kitchen at the far end and began digging out ingredients. The older man sighed and reached down to grab one of the bags, but found it already hanging at the side of the man now standing in the doorway.

“Morning, Itsuki.”

“Morning, Kaji. How are ya?”

The younger man shrugged and smiled.

“Any day I get to be out of the lab and still get paid is a good day in my book,” he said before glancing over his shoulder, “Especially with company like this.”

Itsuki shook his head. He didn’t have to look where the younger man was gesturing to know who he was talking about.

“What company?” came a voice from behind Kaji. He seized up for, only for a heartbeat, before relaxing again. It was only due to Ituski’s long friendship with the man that he noticed the momentary lapse in his typical casually aloof demeanor, “What were you guys talking about?”

“I thought you were staying in the van.”

The raven-haired woman stepped from behind Kaji and bowed slightly to Itsuki before wrapping her arm around the older man’s waist and giving a small squeeze.

“Good morning, Misato. Your beauty gives even the sunrise a run for its money, as usual.”

Misato Katsuragi, head liaison between N.E.R.V and Toji’s high school, blushed despite herself. Kaji stared at the older man and slowly shook his head, a small grin on his lips.

“Why thank you, Itsuki. You look… Um...”

“Distinguished? Worldly? Like a man who commands the universe through sheer force of will?”

He grinned.

“Or old and tired and in desperate need of a shower and a shave?”

Misato chuckled.

“Let’s go with the first three, shall we?”

Itsuki smiled. He knew he wasn’t _that_ old, being only barely into his forties, but there was still something innately satisfying about constantly bemoaning his age. Something so “Dad” about it that it was almost an instinct. It was mostly to get a rise out of his children, and occasionally his wife, but it still brought him no small amount of pleasure when someone refuted his claims of personal senility and decrepitude. Especially someone like Misato. He looked on as she turned her attention to Kaji, their small talk fading into the background as he watched them.

Kaji looked at her like a child looks at a puppy or a small kitten, with absolute, unfiltered adoration. His eyes constantly flicked across her face, and occasionally down to her chest and hips. Her legs were exposed up to her mid-thigh in the jean shorts she wore, and he took those in as well. A purple tank top, a pair of sandals and a floppy straw hat completed the ensemble, and to Kaji that was enough.

Itsuki turned his attention to Misato and saw pretty much the same thing, her eyes darting across the taller man’s face, staring at the deliberate amount of stubble he left on his chin. They made their way down to the Hawaiian shirt he wore, the top few buttons left undone, and the surprising amount of muscle that dappled his chest.

The elder Suzuhara was many things, but blind was not one of them. He watched the two people in front of him, and he saw. He saw a longing that was not so much hidden as it was standing on a rooftop with a bullhorn, announcing its presence to anyone and everyone that cared to listen. He sighed.

 _“These two, Toji and Hikari,”_ he thought to himself, _“and, apparently, Shinji and Asuka. There better be some changes when they get back from this little trip. This is getting to be too much. I can only handle so many oblivious people in my life.”_

“Miss Misato! Mr. Kaji!!”

The two of them turned at the sound. Sakura barreled out of the house, aiming directly for their legs. Kaji dropped the bag he carried, dipped, and in one smooth motion caught the girl under the arms, picked her up and spun her around before planting a small kiss on the top of her head and passing her to Misato. She caught the child and gave her a spin of her own before pulling her in for a tight hug.

“Hello, Sakura! I’ve missed you!” Misato exclaimed, propping the girl up with her arm and looking at her, “Are you excited about the trip?”

Sakura nodded enthusiastically.

“Yeah! I’m gonna ride _everything!”_

Misato chuckled.

“Me too!”

Itsuki started to make a comment about minimum height requirements, but before he could the side door on the van slid open again. Out stepped a boy the same age as Toji, slightly shorter and leaner, a near carbon copy of his father, only not quite as tall, though Itsuki was sure that would change. The boy carried himself like his mother though, a constant awareness in his eyes tempered by an aura of deliberate relaxation.

He moved from the van and another person emerged, a girl this time, with flaming red hair and eyes so blue they made the ocean look dull, just like her mother’s. Also like her mother, those eyes contained an intelligence and vitality that seemed too deep for a single person to contain. Itsuki caught the stare she gave the boy in front of her before she fell in behind him. They walked up to the small group gathered on the porch, looked at each other, nodded, and poked Misato and Kaji in the ribs from behind, each chuckling at the adults’ small jump. Sakura giggled.

“I thought you two were in a hurry to get on the road,” said Shinji, smiling as Kaji and Misato glared at him, “We’ve been here almost fifteen minutes already. Where’s Toji?”

“And Hikari for that matter,” Asuka added, glancing around.

Itsuki leaned his head past the doorframe and looked to the back of the main room. He grinned and turned back to his guests. He placed a single finger to his lips and motioned toward the door with his thumb.

“ _Look”_ he mouthed as he stepped back. The gathered friends leaned forward and stared into the house, Kaji and Misato taking one side of the door while Asuka and Shinji took the other, the taller man and boy leaving room for their counterparts to stand beneath them. They squeezed together, Kaji and Shinji leaning over Misato and Asuka respectively, their backs pressing into the boy’s chests. Itsuki caught the small look the Soryu girl chanced at the face hovering over her, her cheeks reddening ever so slightly. The four of them let their eyes adjust to the relative darkness of the house’s interior for a few moments, before all four of them broke into warm smiles.

Toji and Hikari were still putting together the sandwiches and other assorted snacks for the occupants of the rental van. The counter they stood at was easily two meters long, with plenty of space for them to work, but they stood so close together that Hikari might as well have been standing on the tops of Toji’s feet. They worked smoothly, and other than the occasional request for an ingredient or a muffled apology for bumping into the other person they worked in silence.

A pattern emerged wherein Hikari would slowly stop her preparations and let her eyes wander over to Toji’s hands, and then to his arms and from there all the way to his face. She would stare at him for a while until he noticed and looked at her. She would immediately turn back to her work, only for Toji to repeat the exact same steps only moments later. Both wore an ever-darkening blush on their cheeks.

The four observers were so caught up in the spectacle in front of them that they failed to register the sound of the van door sliding open and closed. They didn’t hear the crunch of footsteps on gravel, and certainly didn’t notice the new presence standing behind them. Itsuki looked at the new addition and nodded in greeting. The boy nodded in return before lifting a small camcorder to his face and pointing it inside the house. He zoomed in, the sensors in the camera automatically adjusting to the lack of light in the room and smiled. He stood there for several minutes, taking in the sight of two of his closest friends being about as obvious as they could be without saying a word.

He chuckled. All four people crowding the doorway jumped and spun on him.

“Damnit, Kensuke,” they all managed in unison.

The boy lowered the camcorder, flipping the small display closed, and grinned.

“I was wondering how long it was going to take for you guys to notice me,” he spoke, barely above a whisper. He didn’t want to interrupt Toji and Hikari, after all, “I got some good footage. I think I’ll play it at their wedding.”

Misato shook her head.

“Kensuke, don’t…”

“Ummm, what are you guys doing?”

Everyone gathered by the door, well four of them at least, jumped at Toji’s voice from behind them. He stood in the doorway holding a small cooler. Hikari stood beside him, glancing from person to person, an inquisitive look on her face.

“Yeah, what’s going on?”

She spied Kensuke and, more importantly, Kensuke’s camera, and blanched.

“W… Were you recording us?”

“Maybe,” Kensuke grinned. Sakura giggled in Misato’s arms.

Toji started to complain when Kaji cleared his throat and held up his watch.

“Okay, we’ve stalled for too long. We’ve got a five-hour drive ahead of us and we need to get going,” he looked at Toji, “I’ll grab your bags. Bring the cooler and I’ll show you where I want it to go.”

Toji looked like he wanted to say more, but a glance at his father and the look on the older man’s face told him to let it go, at least for now. He had three days to get back at Kensuke, along with other, more pressing matters. He glanced at Asuka and Shinji.

Toji followed Kaji and helped get the bags and cooler arranged, Itsuki carrying over Sakura’s bag and adding it to the pile. The van was meant for 12 people, but with only 8 of those seats taken there was plenty of extra room. Itsuki walked over to Misato and pulled her aside, whispering something to her. Her eyes widened, a small smile spreading across her face as she glanced from Toji to Hikari. She looked at the older man and nodded.

“Alright, is that everything?” Istuki asked, looking around at the gathered travelers.

“I believe so. Let’s get going everyone. Make sure to say goodbye to Mr. Suzuhara before we go,” Kaji spoke up.

Itsuki shood his head.

“I’ve told you a hundred times not to call me Mr. Suzuhara.” There was no heat in his voice, only the bare hint of a smile, “I am not old enough to be called Mister.”

Everyone chuckled as they offered the elder Suzuhara small hugs and goodbyes, Toji waiting until almost everyone was in the van before giving his father a short but firm hug. At least he intended it to be short. Itsuki wrapped his arms around the boy’s back and swayed back and forth a few times. He looked over Toji’s shoulder at the grins coming from the van, along with the glint of sunlight off the camera lens.

“ _Dad. Cut it out...”_ Toji whispered frantically, turning to glance over his shoulder, “ _You’re embarrassin’ me_.”

“Good. That’s why I’m here, and don’t you ever forget it,” Itsuki whispered back, “Oh, and good luck with The Plan. I’m sure Hikari has some hijinks in store for you two. However…”

He pulled back, holding Toji by his upper arms.

“Don’t let that distract you.”

Toji’s brow furrowed.

“Distract me from what?”

Itsuki looked over his son’s shoulder. Toji caught the hint after a moment and turned slightly. Hikari was standing by the van, her arms folded across her chest as she waited for the boy.

“From what’s right in front of you.”

Toji turned a bright shade of pink.

“I… It’s not like that! W…We’re just…. Friends. She…”

He stopped, his lip starting to quiver, and for a moment Itsuki thought he might have pushed too far.

“She doesn’t wanna be with someone like me. She’s got the best grades, she’s one of the top students in our N.E.R.V internship. I’m just… I barely pass my classes. And even then, it’s only because she makes me study with her. The only reason I’m still in the internship is because I’m the most athletically inclined, so they can run me ragged and study my reactions to different nutritional supplements. I’m just a meathead who knows how to handle a basketball.”

Toji hung his head.

“She deserves someone better, someone… _more…_ than me.”

Itsuki placed his hand under Toji’s chin and lifted his head towards him.

“And yet, she chooses to spend as much of her free time with _you_ as she can. How often is she over here after school? How many times a week does invite you to her house for dinner? You said it yourself, son, she’s always helping you study. She _likes you,_ Toji. Don’t put yourself down. No one thinks you’re just a ‘meathead.’ Not me, not your mom, not Shinji or Asuka or Kensuke or Misato or Kaji.”

He poked Toji in the chest.

“And certainly not her. Don’t keep her waiting, son. I did with your mom and I nearly missed out on something incredible.”

“Hey! Can you guys have your heart to heart _after_ we get back?” Kaji called over to them, hanging half out of the driver’s side window, “We got..urghh!!”

A slender pair of arms reached around his neck and yanked him back into the van. Itsuki grinned as Misato lit into him.

“I’ve kept you too long, Toji. Your friends want to get going. But remember what I’ve told you, son. She thinks you’re worthy of her…”

He pulled Toji into a final short hug.

“Even if you don’t. Now go. I’ll see you in a few days.”

Toji took a deep breath, managed to drain the color from his cheeks, and turned to his waiting friends.

“What was that about?” Hikari asked as she climbed in the van, Toji getting in and sliding the door closed behind him.

“It was nothin’, class rep. Just my dad tryin’ to embarrass me in front of my friends.”

“Oh. O…Okay,” she responded, her face scrunched in confusion. She stared at him for a few moments before he looked at her.

“What? I got somethin’ on my face?”

“Ah… Nope, sorry!”

Hikari spun around in the seat and started fussing with Sakura’s seatbelt, the girl struggling to get the buckle to work. Behind them, Shinji and Asuka watched, smirking. Behind _them_ , Kensuke chuckled slightly, his face hidden behind his camera yet again. He turned the lens on the boy and girl in front of him, discretely of course. He saw the small smirks fade as they looked at each other, their faces slowly turning as red as Asuka’s hair. They looked away, each pulling out their phones and opening some application or another.

Kensuke grinned. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out, the flashing symbol on the screen indicating a new message. He clicked the messaging app and opened the text. He read over the contents, his smile growing steadily.

“Kensuke, you good?”

The boy looked up at Toji and grinned.

“Oh yeah. Just got a message that… Uhh a couple of friends of mine are on their way. They should arrive at the park shortly after we do. I’m planning on meeting them tonight for dinner.”

Six pairs of eyes turned to stare at Kensuke, only Kaji abstaining, though he did throw the occasional glance at the rearview mirror.

“Friends?” Shinji asked, one eyebrow raised, “Do… Do we know them?”

“You know one of them. The other one, well…”

He blushed slightly, the shadows in the back of the van the only thing preventing his friends from catching it.

“I met her last month at that science camp I went to in Tokyo-2. She convinced her parents to come to the park on the same dates we were.”

Twelve eyes stared at him even harder, their gazes threatening to push Kensuke out of the van.

“She??” they all asked in unison.

He nodded.

“Yep. She’s really cool. I can’t wait for you guys to meet her. We… Have a lot in common.”

Toji’s eyes narrowed.

“I don’t believe you. You woulda said something by now. You would’ve definitely _shown_ us pictures. I think you’re just messing with us.”

Kensuke put his hand on his chest in exaggerated shock.

“You think I don’t know how to talk to girls?? I’m hurt, you guys. Give me some credit.”

Toji’s eyes narrowed even farther, until they suddenly shot back open.

“Wait, you said a _couple_ of friends… Who’s the other one? Do we know them?”

Kensuke nodded.

“Yep. You know her. But I’m not telling you who she is. You’ll just have to wait and find out.”

This time, Kaji did turn to stare with everyone else, though only for a moment before turning back to the road.

“SHE??” they all exclaimed, louder this time.

Kensuke just smiled. This was going to be an interesting trip.

() () () ()


	2. Chapter 2

The trip passed by both peacefully and quickly, much to Kaji’s satisfaction. The kids managed to keep themselves entertained, both the teenagers and the grade-schooler. The only mark against the relative peace was an argument between Shinji, Toji and Kensuke over an anime series they all watched. They could not, or more precisely _would_ not _,_ come to an agreement over which of the main female characters was the best. Kensuke liked the strange, quiet girl who, seemingly unbeknownst to her, happened to be the lynchpin in some madman’s plan for the complete and total destruction of human civilization.

Toji, on the other hand, liked the spunky, intelligent girl who helped keep one of the hot-headed mecha pilots under control through her calming presence. And of course, the fact that she was desperately in love with said mecha pilot in no way influenced his decision.

And then there was Shinji, whose dedication to the fiery, foreign girl who was always giving her co-pilot a hard time about, well, everything, was resolute and unyielding.

They bickered back and forth, each of them listing at least a dozen reasons why “their” girl was the best. Anything was fair game, their personality, their looks, their combat prowess, their intelligence, even their hair color. Any defense they could muster up was swiftly brought to the frontlines and deployed without a second thought.

“I’m telling you guys, give me a girl with weird colored hair any day,” Kensuke said as he leaned back in his seat, his arms crossed, “The stranger the better.”

Toji and Shinji looked at each other and then back at him.

“You’re crazy. No one’s hair is naturally blue, Kensuke!” Shinji moaned, pinching the bridge of his nose, “It’s too unrealistic!”

Toji nodded.

“I agree wit’ Shinji. It takes me outta… Oh what’s it called….” He squinted in concentration, snapping his fingers a few times, “Oh yeah! It ruins my suspension of disbelief! That’s it.”

There was silence. Asuka and Hikari, who up until this point had managed to not pay too much attention to the boys, looked up and turned to stare at Toji. They were joined by Shinji and Kensuke, as well as Misato and a short glance by Kaji through the rearview mirror.

“What?”

“…”

“Nothing, Toji.”

The boy blinked and looked around.

“I don….”

“Anyways, you guys have it all wrong,” Shinji interrupted, “It’s not about the hair color, it’s about how she treats the people around her.”

Kensuke snorted.

“Okay, but your girl treats her co-pilot like shit.”

“Language, Kensuke,” Kaji and Misato said from the front seat.

“Sorry. She treats her co-pilot like crap and is generally just _the worst_.”

Shinji shook his head.

“She treats him like crap because she’s in love with him, but she doesn’t know how to show it. She grew up without other kids her age, so she never learned how to properly show emotion! And it’s obvious he loves her back, but he’s just as awkward as she is, just in a different way.”

They continued like this for some time, the other passengers becoming steadily more annoyed as the miles rolled by outside the van. Asuka and Hikari did their best to ignore as much of the nonsense as they could, but every time Toji or Shinji listed another reason why he liked his girl the most, their ears automatically perked up. They pretended to be busy playing a game on their phones but couldn’t help keeping tabs. They shared a look of exasperation, though whether it was due to the boy’s constant bickering, or something else entirely, they weren’t sure.

Kensuke leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. He was losing. Badly. The other two boys were as relentless in their defense of their chosen girl as they were merciless in their criticism of Kensuke’s. He huffed and looked out the window, Toji and Shinji turning on each other for a moment. He needed a way, if not to win, then at least derail the conversation so much that it would be irrecoverable.

He glanced around the van, hoping against hope that he would see something he could use. Kensuke wasn’t an idiot. He knew how to read a room, how to pick up on non-verbal cues, even if his friends didn’t think him capable. His eyes settled first on Asuka before flitting over to Hikari. They looked great as always. Kensuke knew he would never be with either of them, but that was okay. They were still his friends, and as such he was exceptionally good at picking up when something was wrong. Today, something was definitely _off_. Something in their eyes, their postures. He had rarely seen them looking this… Deflated. They kept glancing at… Something. Kensuke managed to follow both girl’s eyelines and traced them directly to...

His eyes widened, a devious grin forming on his lips.

_Ohhh. So that’s it._

“Hey Toji, Shinji…” He spoke up, his two friends quieting as they turned to him, “You keep stepping all over me because I like my girl’s hair color. Remind me again what kind of hair your girls have? Style and color wise, I mean.”

The two boys stopped, glanced at each other, and looked back at Kensuke.

“Why does tha…”

“It’s just a question. I haven’t paid much attention to them as the show’s gone on. I’ve had other, better girls to ogle.”

Toji spoke first.

“She has dark brown hair that she keeps in pigtails.”

Kensuke nodded to Shinji.

“She has bright red hair that she keeps pulled back with a couple of hair clips.”

Kensuke glanced past Shinji and saw exactly what he was hoping for. Asuka and Hikari both reached up at the same time and unconsciously touched their hair, Asuka at the red clips she wore, and Hikari at the bands securing her pigtails, before glaring from the corners of their eyes at the two boys behind them.

“Hmmm. That’s interesting,” Kensuke’s voice dropped to a whisper as he leaned forward, motioning Toji and Shinji to do the same, “Now, who else do we know with hair like that?”

Toji and Shinji furrowed their brows for a moment before Kensuke motioned behind them with his eyes. They turned to the seat in front of them, but they didn’t understand what he was trying to get across. The only things in front of them were Asuka and Hikari….

Kensuke snorted as he watched Toji and Shinji both freeze simultaneously, their bodies stiffening. They slowly turned their heads back to him and gave him a glare that could melt steel.

Kensuke only smiled.

“You…” Shinji began, before Kaji cut him off from the driver’s seat.

“Alright, here’s our exit. After this it’s only about ten minutes to the park so start getting your things together.”

The occupants complied, packing away various books and snacks. Headphones were unplugged and wrapped together; pillows were stuffed into backpacks. Toji and Shinji went about it in almost complete silence, occasionally making eye contact with Kensuke, even if only to glare at him. He took it all in stride as they steadily approached the entrance to the park. Even from their position on the far outskirts of the compound they could see several roller coasters and other assorted thrill rides rising in the distance.

Kaji rolled into the main entrance gate and showed the guard the hotel reservation printout. She looked at it and relayed some directions to the man, pointing and motioning with her hands. He thanked her and pointed the van in the general direction she had indicated. After passing several turnoffs onto side roads that lead deeper into the park, he finally found the one he was looking for. The road was almost completely covered by overhanging trees, so much so that even in the early afternoon light Kaji had to turn on the van’s headlights.

The trees eventually opened up as they arrived at their hotel, one of almost two dozen spread across the sprawling resort complex. He pulled the van up to the main entrance and killed the ignition. The van had barely stopped when Toji threw open the side door and practically jumped out. Kaji climbed from the driver’s seat and headed into the hotel to check in.

“Oh yeah. That’s better,” Toji groaned as he stretched his arms over his head as far as they would go, “My _everything_ was starting to go to sleep.”

Hikari climbed out next, shielding her eyes against the sun. Asuka followed, Sakura holding on to the redhead’s shirt for balance as she jumped from the seat. Shinji and Kensuke were last, Kensuke emerging from the van with his camera plastered to his face.

“Wow. This place is beautiful,” Hikari said with genuine awe, “I can’t believe your parents paid for us to stay here, Shinji.”

The boy scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly.

“Well, technically the lab is paying for this, but yeah…”

“Speaking of your parents, weren’t they supposed to meet us here?” Asuka spoke up, looking around at the various guests also arriving, “I don’t see them.”

Shinji glanced over the crowd before shrugging.

“No idea. Maybe they forgot?”

“You parents never forget anything, Shinji,” Hikari replied as she walked around to the back of the van and opened the rear doors, “They must be busy with something.”

Misato stepped over with her phone out and pointed at the screen.

“Yep. They just messaged me and Kaji and said they got held up in a meeting. They want us to get checked in and they’ll catch up.”

Shinji shrugged again.

“See, no problem.”

He joined Hikari at the back of the van and started pulling out bags and suitcases and setting them on the pavement. He grunted when he grabbed both ( _both?_ ) of Toji’s duffel bags before setting them on the luggage cart Toji had procured from somewhere. Asuka was busily dragging her own suitcase out, struggling more than she would like to admit. Like Toji, she also believed in the philosophy of “pack way, _way_ more than you need” and her luggage showed it. The hard red plastic cover of her suitcase bulged out in several directions, the zippers doing an admirable job of containing the overabundance within.

Misato looked up at Asuka struggling and opened her mouth to tell Shinji to help when he made that unnecessary. He threw his duffel over his shoulder and walked over to the girl. He maneuvered his hands under the suitcase and nodded to Asuka. She gave one final pull as Shinji lifted the main bulk of the case. It slid out easily, Shinji stopping it from falling to the ground as he set it on its wheels. Asuka looked up at him and smiled.

Misato grinned.

_Good boy._

“Thank you, Shinji,” she spoke with no small amount of gratitude, “I think I can handle it from here.”

Shinji shook his head as he pulled the suitcase to his side.

“Nope, I got it.”

Asuka looked at him.

“Shinji, you don’t have to carry my luggage.”

“I know, but I… I uh…” he swallowed before continuing, “I want to….”

He leaned in closer, his face suddenly a few inches from Asuka’s own. Her breath caught for a single heartbeat. If Shinji noticed, he didn’t say anything.

“Also, Misato is watching, and if I didn’t offer, I think she would smack me.”

She turned to Misato and the older woman winked. Asuka smiled, her cheeks beginning to burn.

_Damnit, Asuka. You can’t turn beet red every time he says anything to you. Get it together._

Hikari looked at her friend from the corner of her eye, the redhead’s cheeks practically glowing. She needed to talk to Toji and figure out the finer details of her plan. She also needed to talk to Toji about _other_ things, but that could wait.

 _“_ A little help, please.”

They looked over at Sakura as the eight-year-old struggled to pull her duffel bag out of the van.

Asuka reached over and lifted the bag before settling in on the younger girl’s shoulders. She smiled up at the redhead and headed for the luggage cart. She deposited the bag and stepped up onto the cart, hanging from the rails like a pirate clinging to their ship’s rigging.

Kaji walked out of the lobby, several keycards in his hands.

“Alright everyone, let’s go to our rooms. Follow me.”

Hiakri started to tell Sakura to get off the luggage cart but before she could, Toji grabbed the rails and started pushing, making car noises as Sakura giggled, Toji’s impressions of engines revving and tires squealing echoing slightly in the large room. Hikari palmed her face and walked in after them, Misato and Kensuke following and Asuka and Shinji bringing up the rear.

Toji made it a point to stay behind, or at least not too far ahead, of Kaji as he swerved back and forth, throwing his sister this way and that, the girls delighted squeals echoing down the hallway.

Shinji snorted, prompting a strange look from girl beside him.

“What was that?”

Shinji grinned.

“It’s rare to see Toji like this. I’ve known him since we were eight and I’ve seen this side of him maybe a dozen times. I’m glad Kensuke is finally here to capture it on video.”

Asuka shot a glance at their friend as he held his camera to his face. He looked over at them and winked before turning his attention back to his current target.

“If he’s not careful, Toji is going to break that camera.”

Shinji shook his head.

“Nah. He knows how much that thing means to Kensuke. He might steal the memory card or the batteries, but he’d never damage it. He’s not that kind of asshole.”

“Language, Shinji,” Misato and Kaji called back to him.

“My bad.”

“So just what kind of a-hole is he?” Hikari asked quietly as she sidled up beside Asuka, twining her arm through the redhead’s own.

Shinji thought for a moment.

“The kind that’s my friend,” Shinji replied. He flashed a smile at the two girls and Asuka’s heart _jumped_. It wasn’t that she had never seen Shinji smile. Far from it. They had known each other since the 3rd grade, but the smile he gave them was one she had only seen a scant few times in all those years. It was so bright, so _genuine,_ that she wondered why he didn’t show it more often. He wasn’t what Asuka would call “brooding” or “dark and mysterious,” but his tendency to keep that smile to himself had always confounded her.

She had asked him once, when they were 10 or so, why he didn’t smile like that all the time. He had just shrugged and shook his head.

_“I dunno. It just rarely shows up, I guess.”_

She had tried prying further but he had moved the conversation on to something else, and dodged the subject afterwards. That was six going on seven years ago, and, as much as she might have wanted to, she had never broached the subject again. That’s not to say she hadn’t thought about it, but every time it might have come up naturally, she remembered the weird look he had gotten on his face when she last mentioned it.

It wasn’t anger, and it wasn’t sadness. It was something else. Something around the edges of his eyes, almost like confusion. Like a deep lack of understanding of his own emotions, and possibly even shame because of that. She wanted to ask again now that he had flashed that smile for the first time in over two years. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t bear to see that look in his eye again. She resolved not to mention it, so of course her mouth opened of its own accord and made a proper mess of things.

“I haven’t seen _that_ smile in quite a long time, Shinji. I missed it.”

Her jaw clicked shut as Shinji turned to stare at her, his eyes wide. Hikari looked on, a devious grin forming on her lips. She nudged Asuka in the ribs. The redhead spun her head and stared at her friend, her own eyes widening at the look Hikari was giving her. Her cheeks started burning for what felt like the hundredth time that day and she turned and stared at the ground.

Shinji looked over her head at Hikari and immediately wished he hadn’t. The look on her face wasn’t what he would call “evil,” per se, but he would definitely call it “worrying.” He glanced from her to Asuka and back. Hikari nodded vigorously. Shinji opened his mouth to ask what, in the ever-loving _fuck_ , was going on, but before he could, Kaji announced that they had arrived at their rooms.

The group stopped and he handed out keycards.

“Okay, I probably don’t need to tell you this, but the room assignments are as follows: Me, Toji, Shinji and Kensuke in 1101, Misato, Asuka, Hikari and Sakura across the hall in 1102. Any questions?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“Okay then. Let’s get unpacked and settled. Then we can start having _actual_ fun.”

Misato unlocked the door to the girl’s room and turned to her charges and raised her hand.

“Okay, lets…”

She was nearly bowled over as Asuka bolted past, Hikari stumbling behind her as the redhead dragged her by the arm and into the room. Misato stood still for a moment, her mouth hanging open, her arm still raised. She lowered the appendage and turned. The two girls had disappeared into the surprisingly large suite. She could hear frantic whispering but couldn’t make out what was being said.

_That was weird._

But she could worry about that later. First, she had to get Sakura’s bag off the cart along with her own. The boys had already snatched their luggage off the rack and were dragging them into their room. She caught Shinji looking over his shoulder at the girl’s room, a strange look on his face. He blinked and shook his head as he disappeared into the suite, the door closing behind him. Misato stared at the door for a moment.

_Okay, maybe not so weird after all._

She turned and walked into her room, Sakura having already ran in and started jumping on the closest bed. Misato giggled as the door closed behind her.

() () () ()

Shinji and Toji emerged sometime later, standing in the hallway as they waited for the rest of the group. They stood for a while, chatting about something unimportant until a strange look crossed Shinji’s face. He pulled Toji away from the girl’s door and lowered his voice.

“So, have you noticed anything weird with Asuka and Hikari?” he practically whispered, “Because there is something going on and it’s starting to freak me out. It’s been like this since they picked me up this morning. Asuka would barely look me in the eye and Hikari kept staring at us with this grin on her face. Has she said anything to you?”

_If you only knew, Shinji._

Toji shook his head and shrugged.

“Nope. If there’s somethin’ fishy going on, I ain’t a part of it,” he lied, “Now that you mention it, though, Hikari has been actin’ kinda weird to me, too. I don’t know if I said somethin’ to piss her off or what, but she’s barely spoken to me since we left my house. She was cool while we were makin’ the snacks and stuff, but then in the van something changed.”

Toji’s brow raised slightly.

“Say, do you think they coulda started their p…”

“Don’t _eve_ r let them hear you say that. It will not go well for you.”

The boys jumped at Kaji’s voice from behind them. They hadn’t even heard the door open.

“Why not?” Toji asked indignantly.

Kaji grinned and absentmindedly rubbed at a spot on his cheek.

“Just trust me.”

He looked at the boys for a moment, his eyes narrowed.

“So, what were you two talking about?”

Shinji scratched at the back of his head, frowning.

“We were just talking about how weird Hikari and Asuka have been acting on this trip. We’re worried we said or did something to make them mad.”

Kaji nodded sagely.

“Ah, yes. That old chestnut. The only advice I can give you is to pay extremely close attention to what you say and do from this point forward. And apologize. Always apologize.”

“But we didn’t do anything!” Toji moaned.

Kaji shook his head.

“Maybe not on purpose. But you have to recognize when your actions have hurt someone, even if you didn’t intend any harm. It’s part of growing up.”

The two boys opened their mouths to protest when the door to their room opened and Kensuke stepped out, camera in hand. Shinji and Toji stared at him. More precisely, they stared at the button up shirt and slacks he wore, his hair combed back and lightly gelled. He fidgeted with his camera for a moment before noticing the three of them. He paused.

“What?”

“Ummm, Kensuke,” Shinji tentatively asked, “You got a date or something?”

Kensuke smirked as he folded the screen shut on his camera and hung it around his neck.

“I told you, I’m meeting some friends for dinner tonight. I already cleared it with Kaji and Misato.”

Shinji and Toji looked at each other and then back to Kensuke.

“You mean your two lady friends?” the taller boy asked, his voice thick with exaggerated mockery, “The two lady friends that you swear are totally real?”

Kensuke shook his head.

“Oh, they’re real alright, and I’ll prove it to you…”

He rubbed the back of his head.

“Just as soon as I can get a picture of all three of us.”

“Uh huh.” Shinji and Toji replied. Kaji laid a hand on each of the boy’s shoulders.

“Stop giving him a hard time. I believe him, and until he gives you a good reason not to, you should too.”

The two boys lowered their heads. They looked at their friend.

“Sorry, Kensuke.”

He waved off the apology.

“Nah, you’re good. I know my history of talking to girls isn’t the greatest, but with these two it just sort of happened naturally. It was so easy I’m almost a little worried they’re just trying to seduce me so they can harvest my organs.”

His three companions stared at him.

“I’m kidding, mostly.”

“And you approved this?” Shinji asked, turning to Kaji.

He nodded.

“Yep. He gave me detailed times and places where he would be meeting them. Plus, they’re going to have their parents with them, and I happen to know at least one set of said parents. Also, I trust Kensuke. It’ll be fine.”

He looked at his watch.

“Well, it’ll be fine if you leave right now. You’re meeting them on almost the complete opposite side of the park, right? If you make a run for it, you can catch the next shuttle and make it there on time.”

Kensuke looked at his own watch and his eyes flew open.

“Oh sh.. Crap, you’re right! Ok, I gotta go! I’ll see you guys later tonight. I might see if you guys want to hang afterwards since I assume no one’s going to bed at a decent hour. I’ll text you when I’m on my way back okay gotta go bye!”

He managed to squeeze the two sentences together as he took off down the hall, faster than Shinji or Toji had ever seen him run before.

“Wow. He must really be excited about meeting those two,” Toji spoke after a few moments of stunned silence. His eyes narrowed and he turned to Kaji, “Wait, you said you knew one set of parents. Do you know who the girls are?”

“If you do, I would also be interested in that information,” Hikari’s voice came from behind them. The three of them turned as Misato and Asuka exited their room, Sakura bouncing up and down at Hikari’s side.

“Me too,” Asuka added. Misato met Kaji’s eye and smirked.

“I know the parents, yes,” he said, “But Kensuke made me swear not to tell you. I think he wants it to be a surprise.”

He met Misato’s smirk with a devious grin.

“Besides, Misato knows them too. She didn’t say anything to you?”

The temperature in the hallway seemed to drop by a few degrees as Asuka and Hikari slowly turned to Misato, their eyes narrowed.

“No, she failed to mention that.”

Misato flashed Kaji her best “ _I’m going to kill you_ ” glare before turning to the girls.

“Kensuke also made me swear not to tell. I think he knew if you guys found out you would never stop pestering him about it. I also know the parents, and I know the girl. She is incredibly sweet and….”

She paused, a small smile making its way across her lips.

“I think she likes him.”

Four sets of eyes locked onto Misato. Shinji, Toji, Asuka and Hikari stared at her for several moments, unblinking, before turning to each other. Without saying a word, they moved to the side and huddled together. Whispered, frantic conversation erupted as they discussed this development. Kaji and Misato looked on, shaking their heads.

“You didn’t have to rat me out like that, you know,” Misato whispered.

“Why not? I was getting attacked. One of the best ways to defend yourself is to distract your enemy,” he looked at her and winked, “And you happened to be the perfect distraction.”

Misato tried to glare at the man with as much hate as she could muster, but she had nothing. She instead opted for folding her arms over her chest with and turning away from him with a huff.

“You suck,” she mumbled.

“I love you, too,” he muttered back on pure reflex.

Kaji froze, staring away from Misato.

Misato’s head shot around and she gave him a dangerous look, but it was tinted with something else. Something that wasn’t anger but was doing a good job of _pretending_ to be. She stared at him for several long moments, her eyes searching his face for any sign of sincerity.

He glanced at her, and she found it.

For the second time that day, Misato found herself blushing uncontrollably. She turned away from him and stomped over to the teenagers huddling against the wall. She grabbed Hikari and Toji by the arm and pulled them away.

“Okay, enough of that,” she said a little more forcefully than she meant to, “Kensuke is allowed to have female admirers. He’s a sweet boy, he’s handsome in his own way, and he is incredibly sincere, loyal and kind. You guys should know that by now; you’ve been friends with him for almost a decade. I know he has an awkward streak a mile wide, but you guys have managed to overlook that, so why can’t they?”

“She’s right. At least he wasn’t here to see all of this” Kaji added, stepping beside Misato, “Just be careful it doesn’t happen in front of him. His confidence has definitely been boosted by this, and I would hate to see that crumble because of his friends.”

The four teenagers looked at each other before hanging their heads. They mumbled apologies.

“It’s alright,” Kaji said, him and Misato each placing an arm on one of the teen’s shoulders, “We know you guys love him.”

Shinji’s head raised up.

“Hang on, he said he was meeting a _couple_ of friends. Do you guys know who the other girl is?”

They shook their head.

“Nope. He told us her name and gave us her parent’s info in case we needed to contact them tonight, but we’ve never met her or them. From what he’s told us though, she seems sweet.”

“Well, can you at least tell us her name, or did he make you swear an oath of secrecy about that too?” Toji asked.

In lieu of a reply, Misato ran her fingers across her lips in a zipping motion before twisting her hand and throwing away an imaginary key. She was met with a quartet of groans and simply smiled in return. The teens were about to start complaining when they were silenced by the slamming of a door a little farther up the hallway, accompanied by a voice calling out to them. A voice they all recognized, especially Shinji, who quickly turned to look at his father.

And instantly regretted it. He put his hand over his eyes and looked down, a vain attempt to hide in the wide hallway surrounded by his friends. Toji clapped a hand on Shinji’s shoulder and squeezed. The shorter boy glanced over at his friend and saw him trying desperately to hold back laughter. A quick look around at Asuka and Hikari produced similar results.

“Hello everyone! Sorry we’re late, we got caught up on a phone meeting. Even on vacation we can’t escape N.E.R.V. it seems,” Gendo Ikari said amiably as he arrived at the small group.

Beside him, Yui Ikari smiled and the entire hallway seeming to brighten slightly.

“Yes, we’re terribly sorry to keep you all waiting. I know you’re all probably tired and hungry. We have a reservation in an hour at a lovely restaurant on the other side of the park,” She turned to Shinji, “And I would like to spend some time with my son.”

Shinji briefly lowered his hand and smiled at his mother before raising it back over his eyes.

“Shinji, is everything okay?” his father spoke up, “You look worried.”

Shinji looked up at him. Toji snorted quietly.

“Dad, are you planning on wearing that to the restaurant?” Shinji asked.

Gendo looked puzzled for a moment before giving himself a once over.

“I don’t see the problem…”

Shinji groaned.

“Your shoes are entirely too white, your socks are entirely too tall, your shorts are entirely too short, and your shirt says “Coaster Commander” in _bright_ orange letters.”

Gendo looked at his son.

“Yes, and?”

Shinji groaned louder and put his head in his hands. Yui reached up and gently pulled Gendo down to whisper in his ear. He nodded for a few moments before straightening up.

“I suppose these clothes are a little… Too casual. The restaurant might not allow me in. I’ll be right back.”

With that he turned and disappeared back into his room. He returned a few minutes later in a pair of black slacks and button up shirt.

“Shinji, it’s okay to look now. You’re safe,” Toji whispered. Shinji looked up and sighed in relief. He walked over to his parents and gave them each a quick hug, quietly thanking his mother.

“Okay, now that that’s settle, shall we get going?” Misato spoke up, “We’ve got an hour but I’d like to see some sights before we eat. Afterwards we can all split up and do our own thing.”

She looked at everyone, her eyes lingering on Kaji for a moment longer than necessary.

“Sound good?”

“Yeah! Let’s go! I’m hungry!!!”, Sakura shouted, Hikari quieting the girl, a smile on her face.

“Alright then! The shuttle should be leaving in 10 minutes or so,” Yui said brightly, “I want to try and stay together as much as possible.”

The group set off, Sakura shooting forward and running towards the lobby. Hikari started to run after her but was stopped by Misato’s hand on her shoulder. She pulled the girl in close.

“I’ll handle Sakura. You worry about Toji,” Misato whispered.

The younger girl looked at Misato, puzzled, before her eyes went wide and her cheeks turned red.

“Wha...”

Misato rolled her eyes.

“I’m not blind, Hikari. Quite the opposite, in fact. I can see _quite_ clearly. And what I can see is the way you and Toji have been looking at each other since we left on this trip.”

She winked at the girl.

“Remember, boys are like spiders: They may look scary, but they’re just as afraid of you as you are of them. And I’m pretty sure Toji isn’t venomous.”

Hikari stared at the ground.

“I hope not,” she whispered. Misato gave her shoulders a quick squeeze.

“I believe in you. Besides, you’re going need his help to deal with Shinji and Asuka.”

Hikari stared at her.

“I told you, Hikari, I’m not blind,” she winked, “Also, I talked to Toji’s dad before we left. He told me a little. He said you had a “plan.” Whatever help you need, I’ve got you. I’ll even shanghai Kaji into it if necessary.”

Hikari’s mouth moved up and down, no sound coming out.

“What are you guys conspiring about over there?” Toji called out, grinning as Hikari and Misato both jumped. They stuck their tongues out at him and Misato gave Hikari a gentle shove forward. She fell in beside him, fidgeting with her hands, “You good, Class Rep?”

She looked up at him and he pulled back, something in her eyes catching him off guard.

“Toji, please call me Hikari,” she whispered, “At least while we’re not at school. I’ve asked you that before. I… I’m not the class rep right now. I’m just Hikari.”

He stared at her for a moment before smiling.

“Sure thing, cl... Er, Hikari. My bad.”

She smiled back up at him before stepping closer, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the rest of the group, specifically the boy and girl walking behind him. She started whispering, Toji leaning down slightly.

“Remember the plan? Well, I think I have a way to set it in motion tonight. I want them to have some alone time. We need to keep the rest of the group off them. I don’t know how that’s going to work, but we’ll figure it out. I’ll need your help.”

Toji nodded, glancing behind him at Shinji and Asuka. They caught his eye and he smiled, throwing an exaggerated wink their way. The two teens stared at him before looking to each other. Their cheeks turned a vibrant shade of crimson and they looked away. Toji grinned.

“I don’t think we’ll have to work very hard,” he whispered, “I’m pretty sure all they need is a little push.”

 _You too, you idiot,_ Hikari murmured.

“What was that?” Toji asked. Hikari’s eyes flew open.

“Nothing! Let’s go, I’m hungry!”

With that, she grabbed his arm and took off, catching up to Sakura and Misato as they headed toward the lobby.

() () () ()

Kensuke was the last off the shuttle, opting to let several family groups exit before him. He was a gentleman, after all. The bus pulled away, and as the cloud of diesel smoke cleared, Kensuke got his first good look at the main entertainment district of the park. It was two stories, walkways crisscrossing every 10 meters or so, and it reminded him of the interior of a mall he went to once on a class trip. Of course, the mall had the good sense to put a roof over the whole affair, whereas here it was completely open to the elements. Luckily, it was a beautiful summer evening, not too hot or humid, and with a steady breeze blowing in off the ocean a half a kilometer away. He lifted his camera and snapped a few still photos, mostly of the various bright signs adorning the entrance to the district proper.

He entered the main thoroughfare, passing under a huge gate built to resemble a Shinto shrine, all angles and dark, red wood. Once inside he was assaulted by the smells of nearly two dozen restaurants, bakeries and candy stores, the various odors coalescing into a single, undefinable scent. His stomach rumbled, and he remembered why he was there. He found an information kiosk and carefully searched for the name of the restaurant where they were supposed to meet. He found it, and set off, weeding his way through the throng of people. It was evening now, and the crowd was nowhere near its maximum, but it was still a chore to maneuver through. Kensuke persevered, though, and arrived at the section indicated on the map. The restaurant was on the second floor, so he headed for the nearest staircase, checking his watch. He still had fifteen minutes to spare before he was supposed to meet them, so maybe he could…

“Kensuke!!”

He turned just in time for a pair of pale, slender arms to wrap themselves around his neck. The girl they belonged to crashed against him and he took a rolling step back, barely maintaining his balance. He looked down at the mop of blue hair pressed against his chest and smiled.

“Hello, Rei. I like the hair.”

She released him after a few moments, maybe a few more than were necessary, and smiled up at him.

“Thanks! I wasn’t sure how it would turn out!”

Kensuke nodded approvingly.

“It looks good. I’m surprised your parents actually let you do it,” he observed, “I figured they would have stomped the brakes as soon as you brought it up.”

She nodded.

“They almost did, until I told them why I wanted to do it. Then they let up. I don’t think my dad is still particularly happy about it, but he’ll be okay.”

Kensuke titled his head to the side.

“So what made you want to dye it? I don’t think you ever told me.”

Rei opened her mouth to reply and then snapped it closed. Her eyes widened slightly, and her pale cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. She tried to hide this, to play it cool, but Kensuke was already looking at her strangely.

“Rei? You good?” he asked, his eyebrows raised in concern.

She stammered out half a reply before managing to wrest control back from, well, whatever the hell that just was.

“Oh, I just thought it would be fun. I’ve been brunette forever, so I wanted to do something a little crazy,” she lied, “I’m glad it worked out.”

Kensuke nodded, apparently satisfied with that answer. He had to admit, the blue did look good on her. There was something else though, something he hadn’t noticed when she first crashed into him. He squinted his eyes and gave her a good once-over. It hit him all at once. She hadn’t just dyed her hair, she had also trimmed it and styled it differently. It usually ran past the base of her neck, but now it stopped almost even with the bottom of her jaw, layered over itself around the sides while left to loosely frame her face, almost like a set of curtains in a window.

The fact that she now bore an almost uncanny resemblance to his favorite character from his new favorite show was not lost on him. When the evening light hit her eyes in just the right way, the golden brown orbs seemed to flash crimson, but only for a moment, further completing the look.

Kensuke caught himself staring and shook his head.

“You uh... You cut your hair, too. I… I like it. It’s different.”

Rei reached up and touched the side of her head, taking the opportunity to move her hair back and over her right ear as she smiled.

“Thanks! Yet again, I wanted to do something I’d never done before. I figured in for penny, you know. I was already going to be in the stylist’s chair, so why not. All I had to do was show her a picture of…”

She clammed up, resisting the urge to clap her hand over her mouth.

“A picture of a model I thought looked really pretty.”

She turned.

Where _are_ my parents, anyway? They were right behind me….”

“Here we are,” came the answer as Shoto and Sara Ayanami appeared beside them. Kensuke gave them a small bow and then a hug, receiving a peck on the cheek from Sara. He blushed.

“Hello Kensuke! It’s been a while. We haven’t seen you around the table in a few weeks,” her dad spoke up, clapping Kensuke on the back, “We thought you’d forgotten about us until Rei came up a week ago and convinced us to come here. We were due for some time away from the lab anyway, so this worked out perfectly.”

He looked around.

“She said your other friends were going to be here, but I don’t see them.”

Kensuke nodded.

“Yes sir, they’re here. They’re doing their own things tonight, though. Besides, I wanted this to just be for us.”

Kensuke glanced at Rei. She blushed. Shoto raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, just for us, eh?” he grinned, elbowing the boy in the ribs. Sara gave her husband a light tap on his arm and he smirked at her, winking, “Then what about this mystery friend that’s supposed to be meeting us here?”

“Oh, she’s ar….”

“I’m right here!” came the reply from beside Kensuke, an arm draping itself across his shoulder and squeezing, “Sorry we’re late, they got lost.”

She jerked a thumb behind her as Atsunobu and Kaya Makinami caught up with them.

“We did not get lost, Mari. You bolted away from us as soon as we got to the entrance.”

Mari just shrugged and wrapped her other arm around Kensuke, pulling him into a proper hug. Rei kept her expression neutral, her pulse jumping slightly.

“It’s good to see you again, Aida! I’m so glad I could convince my parents to agree to this. They usually tell me no.”

Kaya playfully swiped at her daughter’s head.

“That is patently untrue! We only say no about half the time. The other half we just let you keep talking until you wind up on another subject and forget what you were going to ask for in the first place.”

Mari pushed up her pink-rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose as the group shared a laugh. She looked back up and caught sight of Rei.

“Hey there, Ayanami. How’s it been? Diggin’ the new hair…”

Rei nodded.

“Thank you, Makinami. I wanted to try something new.”

“It suits you,” Mari replied before furrowing her brow and squinting, “Wait a minute… With that color and cut you look just like…”

“Mr Ayanami, Mrs. Ayanami, this is Mari Makinami,” Kensuke jumped in, deftly putting the pin back into the proverbial grenade, “And her parents Atsunobu and Kaya. We all met when we were at that science camp in Tokyo 2 last month.”

Greetings and pleasantries were exchanged as the group made their way up the stairs to the restaurant above, the faux-aged wood creaking as they ascended. Once at the entrance they were greeted by the hostess and quickly escorted to a table. The parents took seats across from each other at a table. The teens went to sit when the adults held up their hands. The hostess motioned for them to follow her as they were shown to different seats, the three of them regarding the adults uncertainly. Atsunobu smiled.

“We figured you kids wouldn’t want to be stuck sitting with us adults, so we reserved two tables. You guys go be cool or whatever it is kids do without their parents.”

Kensuke, Rei and Mari shared a look before shrugging and following the hostess to a table a couple rows over and behind a low wall. Rei sat on one bench while Mari sat across from her. They both regarded Kensuke with strange looks, Mari looking at him with an almost hungry expression on her face, while Rei looked… Well, Kensuke couldn’t really say how she looked. Hopeful, maybe. He stood there for a moment before slicing his sword through the knot and grabbing a chair from an empty table and sitting at the end, in between the two girls. They both looked disappointed, but only briefly.

The adults watched this happen with no small amount of amusement. They soon moved on, though, and fell into easy conversation, spurred on by the discovery of several shared interests. Atsunobu and Shoto both happened to work in IT, and quickly began sharing horror stories of users wreaking havoc on the systems under their control, while Sara and Kaya discovered they had both graduated from the same university only two years apart. They began recounting tales of eccentric professors and wild dorm parties as the waiter brought the table’s drink orders.

At the other table, Rei, Kensuke and Mari were busily discussing the newest downloadable character for the new fighting game they were all playing.

“I’m telling you; he isn’t going to ruin the balance,” Kensuke was arguing, “They tweaked every other character in anticipation of his release, nerfing some and buffing others. I’ve played since they added him, and everything is fine.”

Mari shook her head.

“No, it’s not! They ruined… Oh what’s her name? The brown-haired woman with the pink and white bodysuit,” Mari snapped her fingers a few times, attempting to dislodge the name from wherever it was buried in her mind, “Damn it! I can’t remember her name. You know who I’m talking about, right Rei?”

The blue-haired girl shrugged.

“I’ve only had the game for a few days. I haven’t had a chance to work my way through all the characters.”

Mari shook her head.

“Rei, that game has been out for over a month. Did you just buy it?”

She nodded.

“I don’t usually play fighting games. I like RPG’s and the occasional shooter. I only bought this one because Kensuke kept talking about it.”

Mari’s eyebrow lifted, a smirk forming on her lips.

“Oh really?” she looked from Rei to Kensuke, “You must have really talked it up there, Aida.”

Kensuke shrugged.

“No more than any other. She started it, though,” He pointed at Rei, “She came over one afternoon, and I was playing it. She tried it out and liked it, so she started asking me about it. The next day I get a matchmaking request from her gamertag and we played a few rounds.”

He smiled and shot a look at Rei.

“I won handily, of course.”

Rei stuck her tongue out at him and smiled.

“Yeah, well you have more experience. Let me put some hours into it and I’ll get you.”

“So, do you go over to Kensuke’s house often, Rei?” Mari asked, as if the last several minutes of conversation hadn’t happened.

“Well, yeah. He lives right down the street from me and we’ve known each other since we were 12,” her eyes narrowed, “Wait, why?”

Mari put on her best cat-like grin.

“Oh, no reason.”

Rei stared at her for a moment before she felt her cheeks start to warm. Her eyes widened and she grabbed her menu and opened it in front of her, nearly hitting Kensuke’s drink. He blinked a few times before turning to Mari and frowning.

“Come on Mari, it’s not like that. I’ve known Rei for years. Our parents work together at N.E.R.V. We’re just….”

He paused, unsure of how that statement should end. What were they, really? They’d known each other since they were 12, when Rei’s parents moved them to Tokyo-3, and she had easily integrated herself into their friend group. Shinji and Asuka liked her, Toji and Hikari thought she was great. Now that he thought about it, he would be hard pressed to think of someone who _didn’t_ like her. He certainly did.

He paused, that last thought landing more heavily than he anticipated. He liked Rei. He liked her a lot. Of course, so did a lot of other people.

_But Rei doesn’t drop by their houses when she’s not busy. Or when she’s lonely._

Kensuke blinked. Rei, like him, didn’t have siblings, so whenever her parents were both out of the house she was completely alone. Which was pretty often, she’d admitted to Kensuke one evening a few weeks before.

He remembered it clearly, and suddenly.

_They were in the middle of a difficult level in a cooperative shooter they both liked, sitting on the couch in his den, his mother in the other room working on grading her student’s papers. Rei had called him and asked if he was busy and he said no. In fact, he could use some help with this game… The doorbell had rung barely two minutes later._

_He paused the game and let her in. She grabbed a controller and sat beside him._

_“So, you must have already been on your way. If not, then you made really good time.”_

_She nodded._

_“Yeah, my parents got called into the lab. Some urgent project is nearing some crucial milestone or whatever. It’s always something like that. I was bored and so I started heading over here. I didn’t think to call you until I was only a few houses down.”_

_Kensuke snorted._

_“Well, I’m glad you just assumed you could come over. You act like you can just waltz in here anytime you like.”_

_He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, fighting and losing to keep the stupid grin off his face. Her face flashed… Something… for a moment before it bounced back, the girl reaching over and gently smacking Kensuke on the head._

_“I know I can because your mom said so.”_

_She stuck her tongue out at him before turning back to the game, the enemies much more efficiently dispatched when there were two people running through the level. They played for a couple of hours, wordlessly working their way nearly to the end of the game, before they both looked up at the same time, the smells coming from the kitchen breaking their concentration. Kensuke glanced at his watch._

_“Oh wow. We’ve really been focused on this, haven’t we? It’s almost dinner time.” He stood up from the couch and stretched, heading for the kitchen. Rei did the same and started for the front door._

_“Okay then. This was fun, Kensuke. I’m gonna head home now.”_

_“Why?”_

_She stopped and turned to him, confused._

_“What? You said it’s almost dinner time, so I figured…”_

_Kensuke rolled his eyes and marched over to her. He grabbed her by the wrist and started pulling her towards the kitchen._

_“You know you’re welcome to eat with us, Rei,” he said behind him as he dragged her into the dining room, “Dad’s out of town so it would just be me and mom. We’d love the company. I guarantee mom started planning for you to stay as soon as you walked in. Also, are your parents even home yet?”_

_Rei looked at the time on her phone and shook her head._

_“They said they would be pretty late tonight.”_

_Kensuke stopped and looked at her, confusion and… something else… written on his face._

_“Rei, were you going to go home and just… Be alone all night?”_

_She met his gaze before looking down._

_“Umm, I... Well, yes... But it’s okay, though! I’m used to it. They’ve been working late so often that it’s not a big deal.”_

_Kensuke stared at her for a while, that same something flashing in his eyes._

_“How often are you home alone at night, Rei?” he asked._

_She shrugged, trying not to look at him._

_“A few times a week, maybe three or four nights. Five if it’s particularly busy at the lab.”_

_Kensuke’s eyes widened slightly._

_“Rei, how long has this been going on?”_

_She narrowed her eyes in thought._

_“A few months. Before this big project came along, they might stay late one night a week, and rarely on weekends.”_

_Kensuke blinked._

_“A few **months**?? Rei, you’ve been over here a few dozen times in that span. Why didn’t you say anything? You could have just stayed here until your parents got home. You know mom and dad don’t mind.”_

_She smiled; a surprisingly sad, little thing that made Kensuke’s chest tighten._

_“I didn’t want to be a bother. It didn’t seem right to just assume I could stay over here all the time.”_

_Kensuke shook his head._

_“Rei, you are not a bother. Don’t say that. You are always welcome here.”_

_She lowered her head._

_“Thank you, Kensuke. I… I know that, but I just didn’t want to start taking advantage of your hospitality.”_

_Kensuke frowned._

_“Ok, well, I understand that, but that doesn’t mean you have to be alone.”_

_Rei looked up at him, her eyes wide._

_“I…”_

_“Please, Rei,” he cut her off, “the next time your parents are going to be out late like this, let me know. You can come over here after school and hang out with us. No one deserves to be lonely like that. I wish you had told me sooner; I’m starting to get sad thinking about you just sitting around your empty house, no one to talk to…”_

_He reached out and grabbed her wrist again, pulling her the rest of the way into the dining room. She didn’t protest as he sat her down at the table and walked into the kitchen. He tapped his mother on the shoulder and she looked up as he pulled his head in close and started whispering. Kayoko Aida nodded a few times before glancing at Rei and reaching for a towel. She dried off her hands and pulled out her phone. She started typing, small clicking sounds echoing in the kitchen as her fingers flew over the keys. Kensuke walked over and sat beside Rei, setting plates and utensils down for the three of them._

_Apparently satisfied, Kayoko pressed send and flipped the phone closed._

_“Rei, I just texted your parents. I told them you will be eating dinner with us and staying over here until they get home. I hope you know you’re always welcome to do so, like Kensuke said.”_

_Rei nodded and smiled._

_“Thank you, Mrs. Aida. I… I don’t know why I never said anything. You have always made me feel welcome. I just…”_

_She looked up and shrugged._

_“I guess I overthink things sometimes.”_

_Kayoko came and joined the teens, placing a hand on Rei’s shoulder._

_“It’s okay, Rei. Please don’t let this happen again though, okay? The thought of you all alone so many nights out of the week makes my heart ache. You don’t even have to come over here. You can call us and if we’re not busy we can come to you. You live maybe half a kilometer away, it’s hardly a long walk.”_

_She looked from the girl to her son and back._

_“Or Kensuke can go by himself. I know your parents trust him, and so do I.”_

_Kayoko felt Rei tense under her hand and let go, smiling to herself._

_“Mom! Come on. You didn’t have to make it awkward….” Kensuke buried his head in his hands before turning to Rei, “Sorry about that.”_

_Rei shook her head._

_“No, it’s okay. I… I actually kind of like that idea,” she paused as Kenuske’s eyes widened, “All of you coming over, I mean. I could make dinner for everyone, pay you back for all the meals I’ve had over here.”_

_Kensuke nodded, his cheeks warming._

_“Sounds good, Rei. As long as you’re not alone.”_

_She looked at him strangely._

_“I…”_

_“Speaking of meals, here we are!” Kayoko interrupted, setting several bowls of grilled beef and steamed veggies on the table. They said their thanks and dug in, the meal spent in easy, lighthearted conversation, Kayoko ribbing Kensuke about whatever new computer project he was working on, and Rei going over some of the highlights of their N.E.R.V. internship._

Kensuke didn’t think about it at the time, but now that he looked back at that night, he realized something. He remembered looking at Rei and seeing her look happier than he could remember, at least in the few months previous. Was she really that lonely? And why hadn’t she said anything?

“Hey, Kensuke!”

Mari snapped her fingers in front him and he jumped. He blinked and stared at her.

“What?”

Mari glanced at Rei who glanced at Kensuke.

“You kinda zoned out there. You okay?”

He nodded and took a sip of his drink.

“Yeah, I uh… I don’t know what happened,” he said unsteadily, looking at Rei, “Lost my train of thought I guess.”

Mari perked up an eyebrow and smirked.

“Mm hmm. Sure,” she looked from Kensuke to Rei, “So where was that train going, exactly?”

Kensuke opened his mouth and then snapped it shut. What was he supposed to say? “ _Oh, it was going back to the day Rei told me she was alone most days out of the week and didn’t say anything for months and I should have seen it well before she told me and done something, but I apparently couldn’t be bothered to notice my friend was unhappy and, oh, I think I might like her as more th…”_

A hand laid itself on his forearm. He turned to the owner and blinked, Rei regarding him with genuine concern.

“Kensuke, you okay?” she asked, gently squeezing his arm, “You did it again.”

Kensuke stared at her for a few moments longer, Rei’s light brown eyes probing his own. Something clicked in his mind and his cheeks started to burn.

Mari cleared her throat. Kensuke and Rei blinked and looked away. They stared at Mari, a Cheshire cat grin on her face.

“So, what was that?” she asked, her voice dripping with amusement.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kensuke bluffed, hiding behind his drink. Rei, to her credit, managed to keep her cheeks from turning bright red. Mari looked between them and narrowed her eyes.

“I’m sure.”

She wanted to say more, but the server chose that moment to arrive with their orders. Kensuke and Rei dug in with unusual gusto, their eyes barely leaving their plates. Mari looked on, considering each of them as she chewed thoughtfully. The rest of the meal passed like this, until Rei and Mari’s parents walked over to the trio.

“Alright, you guys ready to go?” Sara asked, smiling brightly at her daughter and her friends. The teens nodded and stood, following the adults back out onto the walkway. The sun was nearly below the horizon now, the lights in the plaza steadily overtaking whatever light was left in the sky. The crowds had picked up slightly, families venturing out after spending the day at the theme park proper, looking for their fill of entertainment for the evening.

“Alright, the movie starts in about 20 minutes so we’ve got time, but we should get going, the theater is at the other end of the pavilion,” Atsunobu spoke up, looking at his watch.

The three teens looked to each other and shrugged.

“What movie are we seeing?” Kensuke asked.

The grownups looked at him and then each other, grinning.

“Oh, no no no. _We_ are going to see a movie,” Kaya clarified, pointing at the four of them, “You three are free to do as you please. We’ll call once the movie is over and see where you are. You guys go have fun.”

Before any of the teens could respond the gathered adults took off, heading down the stairs and quickly disappearing into the crowd below. Kensuke, Rei and Mari stood staring after them.

They looked to each other.

“Well, what do you guys want to do?” Kensuke asked, his camera appearing in his hand. Rei started to respond when Mari broke in.

“Ooh ooh ooh!! There’s an amazing gondola ride nearby. It takes you over the entire park! Let’s do that!”

She turned and took off, stopping after a few steps and looking back sheepishly.

“But first, I gotta use the girl’s room. Be right back!” With that, she darted away, threading her way through the crowd as she headed for the restroom. Kensuke and Rei stared after her.

“Okaaay…” he managed after a moment, “I guess we’re taking a gondola ride. What were you going to suggest, Rei?”

“I was also going to suggest the gondolas…” she answered quietly. Kensuke heard the defeat in her voice and poked her in the shoulder. She looked up at him.

“Hey, at some point, preferably tonight if Mari will let us, I, uh… want to talk. Just you and me. I’ve got some…. things… I need to say. If that’s alright with you…”

The light must have been playing tricks on their eyes, because, just then, they could both swear the other one turned a bright shade of red.

“O…Okay,” Rei managed to get out, smiling faintly, “I think I’d be willing to listen.”

They shared a smile, several passersby glancing at the two teens staring at each other in the middle of the walkway.

“Let’s go!” Mari yelled as she popped up beside them, “You guys ready?”

They nodded and set off, occasionally glancing at each other whenever Mari wasn’t looking, small, perpetual grins etched on their faces.

() () () ()


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3:_ **

**_() () () ()_ **

The group shuffled out of the restaurant, Shinji and Asuka leading. The place had included an all you can eat seafood buffet, and the gathered friends had made good use of it. The boys, Gendo and Kaji included, had, without saying a word, immediately set about competing to see who could put the biggest dent in the restaurant's profits. Asuka and Hikari were still reeling after watching Shinji and Toji put away six plates apiece, each stacked so high with crab and shrimp and various other delicacies that it had taken a gymnast's skill to balance the food on the tray. The two boys were now leaning against the guardrail on the walkway outside, their heads back, taking in the sun, and rubbing contentedly at their bellies.

"Ahhhh… That hit the spot," Toji groaned happily, a toothpick between his teeth. Hikari narrowed her eyes at him.

"Are you sure it was just the one?" she asked incredulously, "Because after what I just witnessed, you should be dead. At _minimum_ , in a coma. Toji, _where_ did you put all that?"

He raised his head and winked at her. Shinji chuckled beside him.

"Don't think you're getting off easy either, Shinji," Asuka added, staring so hard at the boy he was briefly worried he would catch fire, "I saw you thinking about that seventh plate. I swear you two are just a couple of sentient garbage disposals."

The two boys put their hands on their chest in mock scandal and regarded the girls with hurt looks.

"That is an insult to garbage disposals, and you know it," Shinji admonished the girl with a grin.

The redhead's frown faltered slightly.

"Um, I think you meant that the other way around."

"I know what I said."

Asuka groaned and rolled her eyes. Behind her, Kaji snorted and she heard the unmistakable sound of Misato's hand slapping against his skull. She turned and looked at Shinji's parents. Gendo was grinning, his eyes hidden by the glare on his glasses, while Yui just shook her head. Sakura giggled at her side and grabbed her hand.

"Alright, what are everyone's plans for the rest of the night?" Misato asked, glancing at each of them in turn, "Me and Kaji are going to go check out the arcade at the other end of this district. I have some old scores to settle. What about you guys?"

She looked at the four teenagers. They all shrugged before huddling together and discussing their plans. Hikari kept throwing glances at Misato over Toji's shoulder and the older woman winked.

_I know a little of what_ _**you've** _ _got planned…_

"Me and Yui are going to take Sakura and head to the aquarium. They don't close until 9, so we've still got a couple of hours to walk around," Gendo threw out, Misato turning and nodding, "But first, time to get comfortable."

Shinji poked his head up out of the huddle.

"Umm, wha…"

Before he could finish, Gendo reached up and in a flurry of motion undid the buttons on his shirt before slipping out of it, a black t-shirt underneath. He then reached down and grabbed his slacks and pulled, the hidden buttons running up the legs giving way easily as he ripped off the pants, a pair of gray shorts hiding under them. Several bystanders gawked as they walked by, but kept moving, whispered conversations erupting as Gendo packed the shirt and pants into the pack he wore on his waist.

Shinji's eyes shot open and all color faded from his face. His father stood before them in the exact same clothes he had been wearing at the hotel. He hadn't changed out of them at all, he had just put nicer clothes on _over_ them. The bright orange letters that spelled out "Coaster Commander" caught the remaining sunlight at exactly the right angle and seemed to glow.

"We gotta go. We can figure out what we're doing on the move. Come on!"

Shinji grabbed Asuka's wrist and started walking, pulling her along. She in turn grabbed Hikari by the arm, and she grabbed Toji, reaching for his wrist but finding his hand instead. She went red, luckily hidden as she faced away from him, as Shinji dragged the group as far from his father as he could.

Gendo stood for a moment, confused. He opened his mouth to ask something, but he found Yui's hand in the way, gently pressing against his lips.

"You already know the answer to that question, dear. Let's just go. We'll catch up with them later," she looked at Sakura, "Are you ready to go see the dolphins?"

"Yep!" she yelled, jumping as she did.

She turned and looked up at Gendo.

"Uncle Gendo, can I ride on your shoulders? I can't see anything down here."

Without a word, the man dropped down and patted his upper back. Sakura jumped, Gendo grabbing her arms and pulling as her legs slid around the back of his neck. He stood, grabbing her feet to secure her, and started walking, Yui taking his hand as they headed for the aquarium.

Misato and Kaji were left alone, glancing after each of the small groups moving away from them. He looked at her and smirked.

"So, you want to ride on my shoulders too?"

He easily dodged her swing, her open palm coming within a few inches of his face as he pulled back.

"I'll take that as a no."

Misato didn't say anything, opting instead to roll her eyes and huff, crossing her arms over her chest. She glared daggers at Kaji for a few moments before turning and heading away from him. She looked behind her as she walked.

"Come on, Ryoji. We've got scores to settle."

He shook his head and followed her.

() () () ()

"Umm, Shinji, you're hurting my wrist…"

Shinji came to a halt, releasing Asuka as she did the same to Hikari.

"Sorry, Asuka"

She nodded, rubbing the joint tenderly and looking around.

"So, umm, where are we?"

Shinji shrugged. They had stopped under a small pavilion, the path they were on splitting up ahead. A small, illuminated sign sat at the fork, adorned with colorful illustrations indicating where they were in relation to the rest of the park. He walked over and studied it, Asuka doing the same.

"Okay, so left leads to the concert venues and one of the food courts, right leads to the beach and then to the water park," Shinji read out loud, "Alright, which way do you guys want to go? I'm not sure what concerts are happening right now, and I have no desire to eat anytime soon. The beach sounds nice, but I'm not sure what attractions there are on the beach proper. Plus, the water park closed a few minutes ago, so that's out."

He looked around at each of his friends. They all shrugged.

"I dunno. Either one sounds good," Toji spoke up. He looked to his left, "Whadya say, Hikari? Got a preference?"

She looked up at Toji and shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm good with anyt…" she stopped, her eyes widening as a devious smirk slowly spread across her lips, "Actually, I think I'd like to go check out the concerts."

Toji nodded.

"Alright, sounds good to me. Come on Shinji, Asuka, let's g… Ow!" he yelped as Hikari stepped beside him and not so discretely jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, "Ow! What wa…"

"Maybe Shinji and Asuka don't _want_ to go see a concert," she cut him off, "We don't have to stick together the entire time, after all. _Maybe_ they want to go to the beach and see the sights there."

She turned to Asuka.

"How does that sound?"

Asuka took a small step back. She had never seen Hikari's face look like that, and she didn't know how to feel about it.

Other than scared.

"Ummm, sure…." She turned to Shinji, the boy just as uncomfortable under Hikari's gaze, "You want to go to the beach?"

"…"

"Shinji?"

He blinked and shook his head, turning to her.

"Uhh, yeah. That sounds…" he glanced at Hikari, "…great? Yeah, great."

Hikari's smile grew as she grabbed Toji and started pulling him down the left path, the boy bending almost double as she yanked down on his arm.

"Ok, you guys have fun. We'll catch up with you later!" she called out behind them.

With that, Toji and Hikari disappeared around a bend, leaving Shinji and Asuka standing under the soft fluorescents of the pavilion. A child screamed joyfully in the distance and they jumped. They looked at each other, bewildered.

"What the hell just happened?" Shinji asked uncertainly.

Asuka shook her head.

"No idea. But we should probably get going to the beach. If Hikari finds us anywhere but there I'm afraid what she might do. Unless you have another idea?"

Shinji shrugged, smiling unsteadily.

"Nope. Let's go."

() () () ()

"You cheated. You're a cheater. I know it."

Kaji sighed, leaning back in his seat, the "Game Over" screen flashing brightly in front of them.

"Nope. Just better than you," he remarked, stretching his arms over his head and cracking his knuckles, "I told you, I play regularly. The arcade near my apartment has this exact version. When was the last time you played?"

He turned to Misato and grinned, the woman shooting him a dirty look from the corner of her eye. She folded her arms over her chest, turning her head away from him.

"That's not the point. You play dirty. It's not fair," she huffed.

Kaji chuckled.

"I thought I was a cheater. Which is it?"

She turned and stuck her tongue out. She stood and adjusted herself, staring at him. He regarded her, that damn smirk pinned to his face. It was the kind of smirk that said, " _I know you're not actually mad, so I'm going to keep pushing_ " and she hated it.

Or did she? Misato met Kaji's gaze and narrowed her eyes. She probed his expression for, well, she really wasn't sure what she was looking for. She'd seen something in it earlier that day, in the hotel, but it wasn't there now.

_Wait._

She squinted, leaning her head forward. She looked him over, eyes darting over every inch of him, probing for another flash of… Whatever had flashed across his face then. He stared back at her, head tilted, the lights from the arcade screen gleaming in his eyes.

"There something on my face?"

Misato blinked and looked away, the redness in her cheeks obscured by a combination of the low light in the arcade and the multiple colors flashing across the screen in front of her.

"Nope. Just that stupid look."

"Oh? You mean this one?"

She turned back to him and clapped her palm to her face, lowering her head in shame. Kaji was staring at her, the goofiest gin he could muster pinned to his lips as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down. Misato dared a peek through her fingers after a few moments and lowered her hand. Kaji stared at her, one brow raised, a playful smile on his face. She shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You think you're cute, don't you?" she grumbled.

"Don't think, know." he chuckled, standing and adjusting his shirt.

They stood for a few moments, staring at each other, Kaji grinning, Misato scowling as best she could. Their eyes flashed in time with the screens around them, vibrant colors coming and going as the fighting game shuffled through its pre-programmed demo reel, various simulated matches presented in hopes of enticing players. Their breathing came in short, sharp bursts, faces starting to warm.

It hadn't always been like this. At one time there would have been barely a delay between finishing a game and moving on to the next one, their hands inevitably wrapping around each other's. There'd been an easiness to it then, no weight on their shoulders.

Now, for all their efforts, they couldn't move. Or wouldn't. Neither one wanted to be the first to break the silence, so they stood there, the air between them filling with unspoken frustrations, missed opportunities to lay it all out and find what they once had. Several passersby gave them sidelong glances, the tension between the man and woman a palpable thing.

Kaji's hands started to tremble, thankfully hidden by his pockets, as he fought the sudden urge to reach out and grab her. He wanted desperately to run his fingers through her hair, smelling the lavender shampoo he knew she still used.

To her credit, Misato controlled herself just as well, her fingers twitching under her arms as she wrestled down the voice yelling at her to press herself to him, to wrap her arms around his back and dig her fingers in. She wanted to latch on and lay claim to what was hers once more.

"Ummm, Excuse me… Are you two done with this game?"

They jumped. If the kids standing next to them noticed, they didn't say anything.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry about that," Kaji replied, a little more unsteady than he'd like. He stepped away from the chair, Misato following. They moved over to an unoccupied machine, another fighting game. The giant robots battling horrendous alien creatures on the screen tickled something in Kaji's mind, and he had to tear his eyes away. They found something better to settle on as Misato leaned against the game cabinet next to him.

"Let's go t…"

Hey, do y…"

They stopped and snorted, some of the tension flowing away. Kaji looked at her, tilting his head.

"How about we go for a walk?" he asked, "Maybe head to the beach?"

She regarded him for a moment, eyes narrowed.

"Sure. But we're getting drinks first."

"By that you mean _I'm_ getting _us_ drinks, I presume?" Kaji chuckled.

"Well, since you're offering…" Misato grinned, walking towards the door.

Kaji shook his head and followed.

() () () ()

The beach was a relatively short walk from the pavilion, a simple, winding pathway through the palm trees. Wooden boards stretched across the sand beneath, years of foot traffic and salty air leaving many of them worse for wear. They exited the forest and stepped out onto the sand, the sugar white granules crunching under their shoes. A few dozen other groups were scattered about, surrounding various bonfires and lit grills. The smells of cooking reached Asuka and Shinji, and pangs of hunger shot through their stomachs, despite the large meal they (well, mostly Shinji) had eaten within the last hour.

A little farther up the shore sat a small artificial village, lanterns hanging from nearly every available surface. Asuka and Shinji shared a look and shrugged, heading off towards the village. As they approached, the sounds of a festival steadily came into focus, drums beating as young women in ceremonial dress put on a traditional dance. A plaque by the entrance to the village stated that this was a nightly occurrence during the summer, several different dance troupes swapping out on a week-to-week basis.

Asuka stood, enraptured at the sight of the billowing yukata's and the dancer's long, flowing hair. Almost all of them wore some sort of flowered crown, numerous shades of pink and red blending together to create a whirlwind of summer colors. She stared for some time, swaying with the rhythm, until someone nudged her arm. She turned and came face to face with a bright red snow cone. She blinked and stepped back, looking from the cone to the hand holding it and from there to Shinji's face. He had slipped away while she was caught up in the dance and found a shaved ice seller. Asuka took the offered treat with a muted thanks, biting into it. It was strawberry, her favorite. Of course he'd know that. The cool, sweet flavors washed over her tongue and she closed her eyes to savor it, a smile on her lips.

Shinji watched her over his own cup. He found himself staring at her exposed back, the straps of her dress digging in ever so slightly into the skin on her shoulders. Her green sundress billowed in the steady ocean breeze, her hair doing the same. He let his eyes wander before settling on her face. She stared, rapt, at the dancers as they went through their perfectly choreographed routine. She nibbled absentmindedly at her snow cone, the shifting lights of the performance reflecting in her eyes. He stared at her for a while, until something cold slithered over his fingers. The pile of purple ice was starting to melt in the summer evening heat. He took a large bite, the sweet grape flavors like a salve on his surprisingly parched throat. Shinji kept stealing glances at the redhead beside him, somehow always missing as she did the same. They took in the rest of the performance in comfortable silence, crunching happily on the flavored ice. When the dance was done and their snacks finished, they headed off.

"So, how's the internship going?" Shinji asked as they walked, "I heard you and Hikari are making a big splash with Dr. Hyuga."

Asuka smiled and nodded.

"I mean, Hikari definitely is. That girl was born to be a chemist. I'm not doing bad, but nowhere near as well as her. She's already well beyond where other classes were at this point in their internships, and Dr. Hyuga is considering taking her on as an actual employee after we graduate. He said I would be welcome as well, but I don't know if I'm cut out for it. I will admit, I've learned a lot, but next to Hikari it doesn't seem like much."

Shinji shook his head.

"That's not true. I've seen some of your work. It's impressive, Asuka," he grinned at her, "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I've heard dad talk about your research. He thinks very highly of the work, and you as well."

Asuka's smile widened.

"Well, I'll be sure to thank him somehow. Without letting him know why, of course. Wouldn't want you to get busted sharing top secret information. So, how about you? What's new in the world of molecular biology?"

Shinji shrugged and rubbed at the back of his head.

"Well, me and Dr. Aoba are working with Dr. Akagi on a new protein folding simulation. Kensuke is actually writing a good bit of the code for it," Shinji shook his head, "That dude is something else. He can go from listing off the names of every battleship in the Pacific Theater of World War II to building insanely complex programs that boggle the mind and from there straight into the specific episode of a specific show where 'insert this event' happened to 'insert this person' and not bat an eye. I spend too much time reading about polymerase chain reactions and DNA transcription and my brain starts hurting. I don't see how he fits all of it in that ridiculous brain of his."

Asuka giggled.

"Yeah, I'd call him a renaissance man, but I don't think pop culture trivia counts."

Shinji snorted. They continued their way through the small village, the sky overhead now almost completely dark. A steady breeze blew against them, Asuka's hair flowing out around her head. It occasionally brushed against Shinji's arm, and If he was bothered by it, he didn't let it show.

"What about Toji? I haven't seen him as much lately." Asuka continued. Shinji shrugged.

"As far as I know he's still with Dr. Ibuki in the exercise science/nutrition lab. They put him through the ringer a few times a week and then measure how he responds to different supplements and such."

Asuka shook her head.

"I'm still weirded out by that. It's like he's a guinea pig. I thought there were laws against using minors for things like that."

"There are, but Toji is 17, and the law says he can participate if he has approval from his parents, and as long as it's under a certain number of hours a week. He's only there for 3 hours each day so it's less than the limit." Shinji chuckled, "Plus, it counts it as P.E. credits, so he doesn't have to take it at school. I get it; you get to see your friends at school all day and then go hang out with them in one of several state-of-the-art labs where he gets to play basketball and soccer for hours and then gets to try a bunch of different nutrition supplements while they keep track of all his vitals. To Toji it probably feels like he won the lottery."

Asuka nodded.

"You make a good point. I just hope he doesn't hurt himself," her eyes widened, "What about Rei? Have you heard from her lately? I haven't had a chance to ask her about what she's doing."

"I think she's also working with Dr. Akagi. Some programming thing. Last I heard she was helping to build some new sorting algorithm. No idea what that actually means, but good for her."

They looked at each other and smiled, continuing through the village, the sand coated boards creaking under them as they weaved their way through the crowd, no real destination in mind. They walked in a comfortable silence. Well, comfortable for one of them at least. Asuka would occasionally glance around, using the sights and sounds as pretense to study Shinji for a few moments before turning away. She opened her mouth several times, but the words never seemed to be where they were needed. She sighed, her shoulders slumping.

They exited the village proper and onto an illuminated path running along the beach. Soft lights crisscrossed the walkway, help up by wooden posts sunk into the sand. It was relatively unoccupied, only a few groups making use of it, most people using the main entrance and exits that lead back into the interior of the park. As such, they were essentially alone, and Asuka didn't know what to do. The waves crashing a few dozen meters away brought her back to her dream from the night before, and she had to shake her head to dispel any notions of _that_ happening here. Shinji noticed her movement and looked at her.

"You alright, Asuka?"

She jumped and turned to him.

"Yeah, I wa…"

She stopped. He was looking at her strangely, almost confused, but tinged with something unreadable. In the low light of the overhead bulbs, Shinji's eyes seemed to glow. Asuka swallowed.

"I was just thinking about something…"

He tilted his head.

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?"

"I… Uh, it was…."

She stopped; the words stuck in her throat.

_Come on, Asuka. Say something,_ _**anything.** _

She took a deep breath and met his gaze.

"I, uh… I had a dream last night, and it's been stuck in my head all day."

His brow raised slightly.

"Like a nightmare?"

She shook her head, turning slightly to hide the color rising in her cheeks.

"No. The exact opposite, in fact. It was about as far from a nightmare as you can get…" She practically whispered, looking down.

Shinji stared at her, his face open, his brows raised expectantly.

"So, what was it? It's obviously bothering you. If you need to talk about it, then….

Asuka looked at him and bit her lip.

_Now or never, Soryu…_

"It was our hon… Whaaaa!"

The words were left behind as Shinji grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her to the side, off the path and beside a boarded-up souvenir shack. He pushed her against the wall and pressed his finger to his lips, smiling. Their faces were only a few centimeters apart and for a moment Asuka's confusion at being shoved behind some abandoned shed was replaced with the sudden urge to grab Shinji's shoulders and lean forward and…

She looked away, squeezing her eyes shut, willing her breathing to slow. Shinji moved and she risked a look at his face. He was looking away from her as he slowly leaned his head out around the corner, his hands still pressing on Asuka's upper arms. She wore a confused look, run through with shock and… Something else. He pulled back.

"I just saw Kensuke come around the corner up ahead. I don't think he saw me, but I saw him," he grinned, "And I saw who he was with."

Asuka's eyes widened and she shifted over, Shinji's hand resting firmly on her upper back as she angled her head to peek around the corner. She pushed her head out as far as she dared and looked. Kensuke was standing at the edge of the walkway, talking to someone Asuka couldn't see, when a girl about his height that she didn't recognize bounced up and clapped him on the shoulder. She had long, dark brown hair bound in twin-tails, a pair of pink-framed glasses resting on the bridge of her nose. She wore a white button up shirt and a pair of plaid, thigh length shorts. She held a comically large lollipop in her hands, waving it around as she talked excitedly about something.

They both looked to the side as whoever they were with seemingly replied and they nodded. Kensuke looked at his watch and turned on his heel, heading directly towards the shack. They came around the corner proper and their other companion came into view. Even with her hair now an unnatural shade of blue, there was no mistaking her. Asuka's eyes widened and she pulled back, clamping her hand over her mouth. She locked eyes with Shinji. He nodded, a goofy grin spreading from ear to ear.

"Is that _Rei?"_ Asuka whispered excitedly, "She dyed her hair."

Asuka's eyes widened.

"Oh my god. So _that's_ who Kaji and Misato were talking about!"

Shinji just nodded and kept grinning. Asuka was practically bouncing up and down, her free hand latched onto Shinji's shoulder, squeezing.

"You heard what Misato said, right?" she whispered, "She said that she thinks the girl Kensuke was meeting likes him. What if him and Rei..."

She pressed her hand back to her lips, squeezing to stop the delighted squeal in its tracks. She started jumping from foot to foot, the excitement too much to handle.

_If those two can somehow get it to work, then there_ _**has** _ _to be hope for me and…_

She barely controlled the startled yell as Shinji grabbed her again and pushed her farther along the wall. He pulled her around the rear of the building, pressing himself against the splintered wood, her back pressed firmly against his chest. She squeaked in surprise.

"Shinji, what…."

He shushed her and twisted his head to his right, peering back towards the walkway. Kensuke, Rei and the girl he didn't recognize walked past, the brown-haired girl excitedly recounting some scene from her favorite show, while Kensuke and Rei laughed and nodded. They made their way up the path before disappearing into the village.

Shinji stood still for a few moments, just to make sure they didn't come back out anytime soon. After a bit, he closed his eyes, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He slumped against the wall.

"Shinji…"

"Hmmm?"

"Ummm… Your breath tickles, and, uh, well…"

His eyes popped open and he looked down. Asuka's bare neck was only a few centimeters from his face, her hair draped over her shoulder and over her chest. He could smell her sunscreen mixing with that of her shampoo and the salty air coming in from the sea. His hands were resting on the outer edges of her shoulders, squeezing slightly. He stood there for a moment, blinking before removing his hands.

"Oh, uh… Sorry, Asuka. I didn't want Kensuke to see us and think we were spying on him. Which I guess we kinda were…"

Asuka didn't move. She stood there, breaths shallow, her eyes darting back and forth, focusing on nothing. She was still pressed firmly against Shinji, his breathing slow and steady. She shivered and clinched her fists at her side, open and closed, open and closed. She took a deep breath.

"Shinji, I…"

"Well, well. What's this?"

They both jumped, Asuka practically diving forward and away from Shinji, the boy darting to his left and clutching a hand to his chest.

Misato and Kaji stood beside them, devious grins on their faces. They looked at each other and back to the teenagers.

"Sooooo… What was that?"

() () () ()

"Can you still see them?"

Toji shook his head and looked at Hikari.

"Nope. I lost 'em once they entered that village thing on the beach."

"Shit!" the pigtailed girl growled before clapping a hand to her mouth, earning a raised eyebrow from Toji. He could count on one hand the number of times Hikari had sworn, whether in front of him or in private, so this was a special occasion, "Sorry. That just slipped out…"

He snorted and stepped out from behind the palm tree they were hiding behind. He sighed and shook his head, glancing around. They were just off the walkway, using a small cluster of trees as camouflage. They could hear people walking by a couple meters away, small snippets of conversation making their way to them. Occasionally a child would yell, making the two teens' pulses jump.

"It's cool. You know I don't mind. Hell, now I'm just gonna try and make you say even worse," he smirked, "Consider it a new pet project I just thought up."

Hikari frowned up at him, looking away as she fought the urge to smile. She let out a long breath and gave one last look towards the beach.

"Well, I guess they're truly on their own now," she grumbled, "I wish I could go in there with them, but if they caught sight of us, they'd know something was up. Asuka would be so mad."

"Well, you did say you wanted to get them alone together as much as possible, right?" Toji replied, pulling his arm in front of him to stretch his shoulder, "I'd say this counts as both 'alone' and 'together' wouldn't you say?"

Hikari nodded, still frowning.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I kind of hoped I'd be able to watch, though."

"You mean spy on them, right?"

"Observe from a distance, Toji. I would never spy on my friends."

Toji snorted and looked around.

"Well, since they're gone and there's no following, how 'bout you and I go do somethin'. We could check out the concerts if you were actually interested."

Hikari stood pursed her lips for a moment, considering her options. There were half a dozen concerts going on at any given time, and she had actually liked the sound of some of the bands playing. Concerts didn't really allow for easy conversation, and if she was going to talk to Toji about… Things, then she wanted to be somewhere quieter, more secluded. Then they could have a proper chat, and if during said chat Toji happened to brush a few stray hairs out of her face before leaning down so he could ki….

Hikari seized up, all color draining from her face. She turned on her heel, facing away from Toji.

_Come on, Horaki. It's not going to happen like that. This isn't one of those dreams…_

Toji stared at her, his head tilted, eyebrow raised. She was murmuring something to herself he couldn't make out. It became apparent after a few moments that this might continue for a while.

"Hikari."

Nothing.

"Hey, Hikari!"

Still nothing. The girl stayed where she was, lost in whatever she was talking to herself about. Sighing, he stepped forward and put his hand on her shoulder. Hikari nearly levitated out of her shoes, spinning around and staring at Toji, bug eyed and frantic. She took a short, sharp breath and closed her eyes.

"Toji! Don't do that! You scared the sh… crap out of me!" she yelled, holding her hands to her chest, "What is wrong with you?"

Toji cut back his laugh, biting his tongue to bring himself under control.

"My bad. You were talkin' to yourself and I didn't know what else to do."

"Well, you could have tried saying my name before jumping straight to scaring me!"

"I called your name twice. You were pretty lost in whatever you were talking about, so you didn't hear me."

Hikari stared at him, trying her best to maintain a martial look, and failing. Toji stared back, a large, shit-eating grin on his face.

"Well, don't do it again…" she huffed, trying to sound mad but failing. Toji snapped off a salute and turned.

"Alright, let's get out of here. I'm tired of hiding in the bushes. You ever decide what you want to do?"

Hikari narrowed her eyes, leaning her head back. A thought struck her, and she fought back a goofy smile.

"I'm not really feeling up to a concert right now. I saw on the map there's a section that's meant to resemble a carnival. Let's try that and see where we go from there. Besides, concerts are too loud. I'd like to be able to talk to you without yelling."

Toji nodded.

"Sounds good to me," he said, reaching out and pulling aside a large branch that was hiding them from the main walkway. He bowed and held his arm out beside him.

"Ladies first."

Hikari shook her head, ignoring the warmth in her cheeks as she walked past him and onto the path.

Toji joined her, staying few steps behind as they headed off. As they walked, he kept his eyes mostly on the ground in front of him, suddenly unable to look at Hikari. His father's voice suddenly rang out in his mind, just a short fragment of a sentence, but it was enough.

"… _from what's right in front of you."_

Toji brought his eyes up, staring at Hikari's back, her blue tank-top leaving most of her upper back exposed. He gulped. She turned and met his gaze, both holding the look for a few moments. They looked away, walking in silence. Toji took a deep breath, closing his eyes, before counting to 3.

_Alright dad, let's see if you're right…_

_1...2...3..._

"Hey, Hikari?"

() () () ()


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4** _

The bartender finished mixing together the brightly colored cocktails and poured them into souvenir glasses, the theme park’s logo and mascot smiling out from the dark plastic surface. Kaji slipped his wallet (now almost ¥3500 lighter, he noted sourly) back into his pocket and exited the faux thatched-roof shack. He glanced around, finding Misato standing a few meters away, leaning against a wooden post and tapping her foot. To anyone else, she seemed to be the epitome of impatience, but Kaji knew better. Although she rarely showed that side of her, he knew what nervous Misato looked like.

He sidled up next to her and offered her one of the drinks, the plastic beginning to sweat in the warm night air. She took it with a mumbled thanks and brought it to her lips, when Kaji stopped her, his fingers lightly pressing down on her arm. She looked at him, annoyed.

“What?”

“You’re supposed to make a toast before you drink,” he replied, holding his own glass up, small droplets falling to the wooden planks below. Misato stared at him; eyes narrowed. She sighed and held up her glass to the man, waiting.

“And what are we drinking to, exactly?”

Kaji shrugged.

“I don’t know. I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” he mumbled, smirking. A lock of his hair chose that moment to fall over his face and Misato fought back the urge to reach up and brush it away, her free hand already moving on its own. She groaned as he secured it back in place.

“Well, don’t expect me to come up with something on the spot. I’m not usually the one that starts the toast, I just drink to it,” she grumbled, her arm starting to tire as she held up her glass, “So make up something quick, or else I’m drinking this in one gulp.”

Kaji nodded, pursing his lips in thought. An idea hit him, and he grinned. He brought his own glass up level with hers.

“To the kids, and to love,” he said triumphantly, “May they see what’s right in front of them, before it’s too late.” Before Misato could react, he pushed his cup against hers, making the “ _clink”_ sound on his own before taking a deep pull from the sweet, colorful liquid within. Misato stared at him, shaking her head as she took an equally large drink from her cup.

“Ahhh. That is _almost_ worth the ¥1750 I paid for it,” Kaji chuckled, looking appreciatively at the drink in his hand. He looked to Misato. “So, what’d you think of the toast? Not too bad for off the top of my head, right?”

The woman stared at him, taking another sip.

“It was okay, I guess. I’ve heard better,” she snickered, shaking her head, “I’m kind of sad none of said kids were around to hear it, though. I would have paid good money to see how red their faces went.”

Kaji nodded.

“I’d be willing to bet at least as bright as Asuka’s hair, _maybe_ a bit darker.” He took another sip of his drink, holding the cup out and blinking as he pulled in the last of the alcohol. The remaining ice crunched as it settled in the cup. Kaji frowned.

“Well damn. That went by way too fast.” He looked up to see Misato in the same boat, the raven-haired woman staring, confused, into the bottom of her now empty cup, “You feeling up to another one? The night’s still young…”

Misato glowered at him, eyes narrowed. She looked up in thought, rubbing at her chin dramatically as she considered his offer. “I could do with one more. Maybe skip the souvenir glass this time; save some money.”

“Only one?” he asked slyly, raising his eyebrow. She shot him a look and he grinned, “Alright. One more it is. You owe me when we get back home, though.”

She stuck her tongue out as he turned back toward the drinks station.

“One more” quickly turned into two, which turned into three, and then four, which lead to a grinning Misato walking along the wooded pathway towards the beach, a pleasant fuzziness settling over her head like a blanket. Kaji walked closely beside her _,_ his own brain more than a little fuddled. They passed a group of teens walking in the opposite direction, more than one couple in the bunch holding hands or leaning against each other as they made their way deeper into the park.

Kaji snapped his fingers in front of Misato’s face, snorting as she jumped slightly. She spun and frowned at him.

“What?

“You were kind of staring at those kids.”

She blinked.

“No I wasn’t!” she hiccupped. Kaji grinned.

“Yeah, you were. You stopped in the middle of the walkway and started ogling them. I don’t think they noticed, thank god.” He tilted his head, the booze sloshing around not unpleasantly in his skull, “So what was that all about? They were a little young for you, dontcha think?”

Misato blushed.

“I… I was just wondering….” She froze, turning from him.

Kaji raised an eyebrow.

“Wondering…. What?”

“…”

“What, Katsuragi?” Kaji stepped closer, working his way around to look Misato in the face, “You can’t leave me hanging like that. Spit it out.”

Misato averted her eyes and turned again, Kaji shifting to stay in her line of sight. She spun a few more times, huffing as Kaji matched each movement. She looked up at him, frowning. The alcohol had coated her eyes in a thin glaze, the lights overhead bristling like stars through a fine mesh. She bit her lip.

“I was wondering what those kids have that Shinji and Asuka and the others don’t.” She looked away as Kaji’s eyes widened, his remaining sobriety now firmly anchored behind his eyes, “I was wondering what had gone differently for them, what had led them to being, well, you know...”

She sighed.

“And why our kids can’t seem to do the same.”

“ _Our_ kids?” Kaji chuckled, “Since when are they _our_ kids?”

Misato cut him off with a look.

“You know what I mean. And don’t distract me, I’m having a hard enough time keeping my thoughts in order as it is. They’re ‘ _our’_ kids in the sense that we spend almost as much time with them as their parents and friends do. We’ve practically watched them grow up.”

Kaji nodded, conceding her point.

“You’re not wrong. It is frustrating watching these kids dance around each other like they are. It seems like it’s only gotten worse since we came on this trip. It hasn’t even been a full day and I’ve caught one of them staring at another more times than I can count,” he sighed, shaking his head, “If it’s not Hikari burning holes in the back of Toji’s head, then it’s him constantly glancing at her when he thinks no one’s looking. It’s the same for Asuka and Shinji. Don’t think I didn’t notice how red her face turned when she laid eyes on Shinji after we picked her up this morning. It’d be adorable if it wasn’t so damn frustrating.”

Misato mumbled in agreement.

_Sounds like me and you…_

“What was that?”

Misato’s eyes flew open. Kaji was looking at her, recognition slowly dawning on his face.

“Did you….”

Misato shook her head vehemently.

“I didn’t say anything. I just burped. You’re hearing things…”

A sudden wave of dizziness washed over her. She squeezed her eyes shut, suddenly regretting that 4th drink. She wobbled a little, and Kaji reached out on instinct, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, pulling her against him (which Misato, in her current state of inebriation, was not afraid to admit to herself that she did not mind _at all),_ and steadied her. She took a few deep breaths and patted Kaji on the chest. He let go, but didn’t step back, just in case.

“I’m okay. Just a little…”

“Sloshed?”

She glared at him, but there was no malice in it.

“Shut up. I’m just tired. It’s been a long day.”

Kaji sighed and stepped back, satisfied in his companion’s ability to stay upright, at least for now. Misato ran her hands through her hair, lifting it out of her face. She looked up, the stars slightly more visible here than in the city. She frowned as she turned to Kaji. He stared at her, out of things to say for once. He remembered a time when that almost never happened, when even the silences were comfortable. When the two of them would sit together for hours, talking about nothing important, if they even talked at all. He sighed.

“What happened to us, Katsuragi?” Kaji spoke up, Misato quietly thankful for the broken silence. She looked at him askance, her eyes suddenly clear, anger flashing in them.

“You know what happened. We ran away from each other. We were too young, too unprepared,” she shivered, “We couldn’t see two seconds in front of us, much less two years. We burned too bright, too fast. We…”

“I meant with the alcohol,” Kaji cut in, a little more sharply than he had intended, his eyes hardening, “Four drinks used to be nothing for us.”

He titled his head.

“But let’s talk about your thing, shall we?”

() () () ()

Kensuke ducked, again, as Mari swung around, the giant lollipop in her hand barely missing his head. _Again_. She was excitedly blabbering about something, the newest episode of her favorite anime perhaps, but Kensuke was having a hard time focusing, what with the large confection threatening to clobber him at any moment. Rei looked on, amused, as Kensuke deftly avoided another swing, turning to her and glaring at the small smirk on her face.

Mari continued, blissfully unaware of her unintentional near assaults. She brought her hand, and the lollipop within, back around before throwing her arms wide as she reached the climax of her rambling. She turned to her companions, looking at them expectantly.

“So, that’s my humble opinion. What did you guys think of the episode?”

Kensuke and Rei stood, dumbstruck. They turned to each other, staring for a moment, before turning back to Mari.

“Uhh… I liked it just fine,” Kensuke replied hesitantly, shooting a sideways glance at Rei, hoping for some sort of assistance and receiving none, “I didn’t really care for the new closing song, but I can skip that.”

Mari nodded sagely, taking a few licks of the lollipop. She turned, gazing off into the distance. The two teens standing behind her stared, waiting. For what, they weren’t sure. They had known Mari a grand total of a month and a half, most of that being through emails, text messages and chatting while playing online. As such, their exposure to the girl had, up to this point, been somewhat filtered, the limitations of digital communications diluting her mannerisms and… _eccentricities_ … down to a manageable level.

Now, though, they were getting the full Mari, and it was a sight to behold. The girl was a whirlwind, never staying in one spot for more than a few minutes, jumping from topic to topic in conversation, somehow keeping up with multiple threads between her and Rei and Kensuke. She never faltered, and the few times she lost herself, she managed to regain her proverbial footing later on, continuing where she had left off as though nearly twenty minutes hadn’t elapsed.

She was, in a word, incredible. She was, in another word, _exhausting_. Rei’s brain felt like it was beginning to misfire, Mari barreling across her cerebellum like a runaway truck. Kensuke was faring only slightly better, but he was also beginning to tire, the heat of the day and the lack of sleep the night before beginning to catch up to him. He wondered how Rei was holding up. He glanced at the bluenette and got his answer.

Rei was staring at... Something, her eyes slightly crossed as they seemed to look at everything and nothing all at once. Kensuke took a step to his right, sidling up against the girl. He reached around her back and poked her gently in the ribs, grinning as she yelped quietly. She spun her head, mouth open, ready to berate him…

The words died in her throat, a strangled “guhh” the only sound to escape. Their noses were mere inches apart, Kensuke’s upper arm pressed firmly against hers. She stared at him for several moments before practically jumping to her right.

“Don’t do that! You know I’m ticklish!” There was no heat in her voice, as much as she wanted there to be. Kensuke kept grinning. He reached his hand up, his index finger extended, and aimed it at the girl. “Don’t even think about it, KensukaaaAYYAAHH!!”

Rei nearly left her shoes behind as she jumped at Mari’s touch, the brunette’s fingers digging lightly into the other girl’s sides, gently playing across her ribs. The blue-haired girl was trapped for a moment,

giggling helplessly as she squirmed in Mari’s grasp. She glanced at Kensuke, the boy fighting hard to maintain his composure. Eventually, Rei managed to break free, and took several quick steps away from her attacker, nearly bowling Kensuke over in her haste. To the boy’s credit, he was at least partially prepared for it, and he caught her by the upper arms, gently stopping her as she nearly lost her balance in the loose sand at her feet.

“You good, Rei?” he chuckled, the bluenette steadying herself in his grasp. He held on to her for several moments, maybe more than was strictly necessary. They locked eyes as he let go, Rei suddenly missing the contact as Kensuke admonished their friend, “Mari, she just said she doesn’t like that. She’s super ticklish in her ribs.”

The twin-tailed terror removed the lollipop from her mouth and grinned sheepishly.

“Yeah, I know. But I didn’t want to be left out. You guys looked like you were having too much fun…” she grinned toothily, “Plus, now I know for sure that she’s just as soft and warm as she looks.”

Two sets of eyes locked onto Mari. The pair looking out from under blue locks narrowed dangerously. The brunette simply smiled, winked, and went back to her candy, looking around her as she did.

“So, what do you guys want to do now? The only thing I had in mind was the gondola’s but that didn’t work out, and we’ve still got a couple hours before everything closes.” Kensuke looked at his watch and nodded. The gondola ride had been a bust, some mechanical failure stranding more than a few people high over the park until technicians could manually bring the cars back in. The three teens had been wandering aimlessly since then, bouncing from attraction to attraction.

Rei had, on several occasions, tried to find a spot for her and Kensuke to talk, but her plans were thwarted constantly by a certain third party. As such, the bluenette was beginning to grow frustrated. Only those who knew her well, which is to say her family and closest friends, would be able to recognize the irritation written on her face.

Kensuke, being one of the aforementioned closest friends, had watched helplessly as Rei slowly became more and more exasperated, her eyes narrowing constantly at Mari, her breaths quickening subtly, her hands wringing at her sides. He glanced at their companion and, hoping the brunette would stay with her back to them for just a few more moments, pulled out his phone and quickly typed a message.

He quietly cleared his throat, getting Rei’s attention. He nudged her arm, holding his phone up and raising his brows at her. She stared at him for a few moments until she felt her cell vibrate in her shirt pocket. She blinked before shaking her head slightly and retrieving the device. She flipped it open and skimmed over the words on the screen.

_You seem frustrated. Sorry Mari is being… Mari. I still want to talk whenever we can if you’re up to it, though…_ _😊_

Rei looked up at Kensuke, the blush on her cheeks thankfully hidden by the low light of the walkway. She swallowed and nodded. She quickly typed out a response before dropping her phone back into her pocket.

_I am. And it’s okay. We sort of knew she was like this, so that’s on us._

Kensuke, satisfied with the response, grinned and deposited his phone back in its hiding place. He took one more glance at Mari before reaching down and wrapping Rei’s hand in his own, giving it a quick squeeze. Before Rei could react, he dropped it, moving a few steps away from the girl. She turned and stared at him, her eyes wide, her hand reaching out on its own. She willed the appendage to behave, returning it to her side and clenching her fist. Kensuke, to his credit, noticed the small motion, his pulse jumping slightly. His own hand twitched, and for a moment he considered reaching back out, just to see what would happen, where that action would take them…

Mair appeared between them, lollipop gripped firmly in one hand.

“So, any ideas? You guys got real quiet there for a minute.”

Kensuke sighed. “I’ve got nothing, Mari. It’s getting late enough that most of the big attractions are closed, and I’m not sure what else there is t… You’ve got an idea, don’t you?”

She turned to him and smiled. “Yep! There’s a fake village on the beach that has a festival every night. It has it all; Takoyaki, grilled squid, shaved ice, girls in yukatas… Everything you could ask for! How does that sound?”

Kensuke nodded his head, pursing his lips in appreciation. “That sounds great.” He looked at Rei, “Come on, Rei. I’ll buy you some shaved ice.”

The bluenette looked at him strangely for a moment before smiling. “That sounds great.”

“And what about me, huh?” Mari jumped in, placing an exaggerated hand on her hip, “You’re not going to offer to buy me and shaved ice?”

Kensuke, completely deadpan, looked from her face to the giant lollipop still clutched in her hand. “Uh, I think you’re good.”

Mari stuck her tongue out at him before turning on her heel and stomping away dramatically. She stopped after only a few meters and turned back, grinning. “Just kidding. You guys coming or what?”

Rei and Kensuke looked at each other and sighed, shaking their heads. They tuned back to find Mari already several more meters ahead of them, having deemed it unnecessary to wait for a reply. The two teens took off after her, practically jogging to catch up with the long-legged girl. They fell in behind her, Mari leading the way, the lollipop held in front of her like a candy shield, daring anyone to try and stop her.

Rei and Kensuke walked in a comfortable silence, the sand crunching under their feet and the low rumble of the nearing ocean waves their only steady companion. Kensuke stared after Mari, shaking his head. Rei, in turn, took the opportunity to stare at Kensuke. His glasses glinted in the lights suspended overhead, the soft white glow illuminating just enough of the path for them to walk confidently.

Unbidden, memories began to bubble up in Rei’s mind. Afternoons spent playing videogames in Kensuke’s den, sitting at the dinner table with him and his parents, both laughing as his mom swiped at his dad’s head for an inappropriate joke. Scenes that she had relived many times flickered across her mind’s eye, the associated feelings of happiness attached to them causing her chest to warm pleasantly.

There was something else, though. This time it wasn’t just her chest that warmed, but her cheeks too, as she remembered the day Kensuke found out she had been spending a lot of her nights alone due to her parent’s work. The pain she had seen in his eyes had stuck with her, as had the feeling of his hand wrapping firmly around her wrist as he pulled her into the kitchen. She found herself wanting desperately to experience that again. What that meant, she wasn’t sure, but she was open to figuring it out, preferably with Kensuke’s help. She dared a glance back at the boy, her eyes crawling over the side of his face, his freckles surprisingly visible in the low light. Her gaze settled on his mouth, on the corner of his lips. She wondered what they felt like, how they would feel pressed against…

Kensuke looked over as Rei let out a surprised squeak, her face going bright red. She clenched her hands at her side and stared at the ground, desperately trying to avoid looking at the boy’s face again. She didn’t hear him as he whispered her name, once, twice, three times.

She did, however, feel it when his fingers closed around her own for the second time in less than 30 minutes, squeezing gently.

“You good Rei?” he whispered again, glancing at Mari to make sure she remained unaware, “You made a noise like something scared you. Everything okay?”

Rei fought to bring her breathing back under control, succeeding faster than she would have thought possible.

_Damnit, Ayanami! What is wrong with you? Where the hell did this come from all of a sudden?_

She looked at up Kensuke, meeting his eyes and the genuine concern contained therein, and something clicked into place in her mind.

_You know **exactly** where it came from, don’t you…_

She took a deep breath and smiled at the boy, giving his fingers a squeeze of her own. Kensuke let go of her hand, and Rei fought back the disappointment in her chest. They never noticed Mari glancing behind her, eyes widening and a wicked smirk spreading across her lips.

“Yeah, I’m good. Just slipped on the sand a little.” Kensuke narrowed his eyes, bouncing the lie around his mind for a moment. He opened his mouth to challenge her answer when Mari called out, signaling their arrival at the beach. The walkway beneath them changed from concrete to wood as they stepped out of the wooded path, several groups of people making their way towards the village past them.

They made their way up the path, the sounds of the sea surrounding them now. A few seabirds took to the sky from a power line above them, their wings fluttering in the night air. The steady beat of ceremonial drums began to reach them, steadily increasing in volume. Faint whiffs of fried dough and various grilled meats tickled Kensuke’s nose, his stomach growling despite the large meal only two hours past. Rei heard the rumble coming from the boy’s midsection and giggled, Kensuke turning red in spite of himself.

They came across a small fork in the path, a map posted on the side of a brick building at the split detailing what awaited in either direction. Rei began looking around, her eyes widening as she found what she was looking for.

“Excuse me… But I’ve had to pee for about 20 minutes now, so I’m going to go take care of that,” she announced as she sped off towards the small building, brightly lit signs indicating which side belonged to which gender. Kensuke and Mari looked on as Rei disappeared inside.

“So Kensuke, what’re you gonna get me at the festival, huh?” Mari prodded at the boy, bringing herself to her full height, and looking up at him, “You said you were getting Ayanami a snow cone, but you didn’t ask if Mari wanted anything.”

She smirked.

“What is it, you too preoccupied with holding Rei’s hand to think about little ole’ me?” Mari couldn’t help but laugh as Kensuke choked on his own tongue, coughing and sputtering as he tried to answer. He stared at her, eyes wide.

“Wh… What are you...”

Mari silenced him with a dangerous grin, teeth showing. “Oh, you think I haven’t noticed, Kensuke? I’ve had a sneaking suspicion since we all three first met, and recent events have pretty much proven those suspicions right. So, how long has this been going on?”

Kensuke stood, rigid, as he desperately wished to be somewhere else. This was not part of the plan, what little plan there had been in the first place. Him and Rei were supposed to talk about this first, sort things out, _then_ tell everyone at once. He stared at the Mari-sized wrench that had just been thrown into that idea, wondering what his next steps were, if any. She knew, and it was looking more and more likely that soon everyone else would too. His panic was written clearly across his face, and Mari wasn’t helping, standing in front of him, her eyes drilling into, at least to Kensuke, what felt like his very soul.

“Mari, tha…”

“How long has what been going on?” Rei asked, appearing beside them. Kensuke’s mouth clicked shut, his eyes widening as far as they would go, frantically looking at Mari, silently pleading for her to stay quiet. To her credit, she complied, in her own way of course.

“Nothing, Ayanami. It’s our little secret,” Mari lied, looking at the other girl and smiling, “But, if you reeeaallly want to know…”

Kensuke launched forward, grabbing Ayanami by the arm and pulling her forward.

“Don’t worry about it, Rei. We… _I’ll_ tell you later. Promise. Mari is just being….” He glanced behind him, the brunette holding the lollipop in front of her face, attempting to hide her giant grin, and failing, “Difficult. It’s nothing, really.”

Rei looked at Kensuke and then to Mari, the twin-tailed girl giving her a wink that was about as far from the word _subtle_ as it could be. The bluenette narrowed her eyes at her friends, a few dozen questions settling on her tongue, where they stayed. For now.

Kensuke let go of her arm once they were a good distance from Mari. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, leaning his head back to stare at the sky. Too many thoughts ran through his head to keep track of them all, so he let his mind go empty, easing the tension in his shoulders slightly, tension that hadn’t been there only a few minutes before. He needed to talk to Rei, and he needed to do it _now,_ but he had the sneaking suspicion Mari wasn’t going to let that happen, at least not right now. He needed to wait until she wasn’t around, but who knew when that would be. He looked back down at Rei, and at the concerned look on her face.

“Kensuke, Mari is looking at us weird,” she glanced back at the other girl, “I am… Concerned.” The boy didn’t bother looking for himself. He knew exactly what awaited him, so he chose the only thing he could: To ignore it, at least for now.

He patted Rei on the shoulder, offering her a sad smile. “Yeah, me too. Try not to let it bother you. I promise I’ll explain later. Right now, though…”

He dared a look back at Mari.

“Let’s get to the village. Those fried dumplings aren’t going to eat themselves.” 

With that, Kensuke took off, Rei and Mari following. They all fell in together and walked side by side the rest of the way, Mari picking up where she had left off talking about her new favorite show, her two companions tolerating her rambling, laughing and responding where appropriate. As they neared the entrance to the village, they passed a small boarded up shack to the side of the path. They paid it little mind, assuming it was closed for a good reason. 

_Shinji, what...._

Kensuke spun his head around, staring at the shack. Rei noticed the movement. 

“Kensuke? Something wrong?” she asked, following his gaze. 

He stared for a moment longer, narrowing his eyes before shaking his head and turning to Rei. 

“Nope. Just thought I heard something,” he saw the question forming on the girl’s lips and swiftly jumped in front of it, “Come on, the village is just up ahead. I can see the entrance.” 

He didn’t mention the flash of bright red hair he saw disappearing behind the shack. 

() () () () 


End file.
